Killing is Easier than Dating
by Shiraken to Samanchan
Summary: Ichigo has a secret that only two or three people at his school know. He starts dating Momo Hinamori despte her knowing almost nothing about his life. Something happens and she finds out, she decides to stay with him. A series of problems occur for the two, that try to tear them apart, but will it ever end?
1. Secrets and whatnot

**Shiraken.**

**IchigoxMomo (main pairing)**

**imlpied IchiRuki IchiApacci ToshTatsu HinamorixAizen**

**AU**

**Second year high school students.**

* * *

Winter. It is Winter, December 27th to be precise. He is out with her again. They were sitting in a park, in the snow, he was basically asleep because he was awake all night taking care of something he wouldn't tell her. She had her arms wrapped around one of his. She didn't know…but in the pocket of his jacket he had something for her.

"Hinamori."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Momo Hinamori couldn't explain why she was so attracted to him, she only met him about two years ago. She still doesn't know anything about him. Where he works, where he lives…all she knows is that he goes to the same school with her. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki.

"For what, Ichigo…and when will you call me by my first name?" She pouted out of confusion and let go of him, and just watched as he struggled to stay awake.

"For…No, it's nothing." He would say, he turned to her and smiled. The tired look in his eyes was reflected by her unsure smile as she looked back at him. "Here…" He pulled a small paper bag out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Think of it as a late Christmas present. I'll see you soon. I'll call you." He kissed her cheek and left. Leaving her with the paper bag and a furiously growing blush. That was the first time he kissed her first. She always would hug him, kiss him, speak first. She was flustered just looking at the bag.

"Ah…so what's in the bag…" She spoke to herself as she opened the bag. "Eh?" it was a smaller bag. She opened it and what she saw made her speechless. It was a small gold ring with a black diamond set next to a ruby. She couldn't even think, she slipped it on to her right ring finger and was incredibly surprised when it fit perfectly.

…

"Oh, you're finally back young master!"

"Shut up."

Ichigo couldn't tell Momo about his life or family because he was the son of a Yakuza head. It took him four years to get his father to agree on letting him out alone and deal with his own affairs. He hated his family. But his adopted sister at least treated him normally. He found his room and went in, looking up he saw his sister.

"Yo, Ichigo, out seeing that girl again? She's cute, don't screw up." Rukia Kuchiki, or Rukia Kurosaki. She was adopted by Isshin Kurosaki, the current head of this syndicate, about sixteen years ago when her family was killed by a car accident in front of their home. She's a short girl with short black hair, and an explosive temper, but a long fuse. Ichigo however…short fuse and the temper of a volcano. On the sun.

"Oh…yeah, I gave her that ring you told me to. Now…would you mind…GETTING OFF MY BED!?" He was about to throw a book at her and she just sighed and did what he said. She knows his temper, but she thinks it's funny.

"Most girl's can't stand a temper like yours…I'm not like most girls though…and I'm sure that y-" She was silenced by him putting his hand over her mouth and pushing her out the door. And then locking it.

"Sleep. I want to…sleep."

…

'It's such a pretty ring…OH I can't wait to show Ran-chan!' Momo was walking home from the park admiring the ring. She was too busy looking at her ring to notice that she took a wrong turn. 'Oh…I…no, this is where that Yakuza syndicate is…' She thought to herself as she turned around and started heading back the way she came but she was stopped when she saw someone standing there with a bat. It wasn't that late, why would someone try to rob someone try to rob her, she thought.

"That's a mighty pretty ring ya got there…can I have it?" the man asked, pointing his bat at her.

"N-No! Go away!"

"Oh…shame…I guess I'll pull it out of your broken fingers!" the man charged at her, as he got closer she could see him clearly. Shoulder length black hair, glasses and blue eyes. Time seemed to slow as she thought of a way out of this.

'How…He's…I can't stop him! What if…'

"My boyfriend is the next head to the syndicate!" Her lie made him stop in his tracks.

'It worked!'

"The next head of the Shiba Syndicate!? FUCK, I'M OUT!" The man dropped his bat and ran, leaving Momo confused and alone.

"Well that's enough lying for tonight…" But she didn't know how true her lie was.

…

"Really!? That's amazing! He kissed you first? And he gave you a diamond ring!? AH SEND ME A PICTURE!" Momo was on the phone with Rangiku Matsumoto, her best friend since the third grade. Momo laughed at her response to what she said.

"I know, he's so great…I just wish he would tell me more about his life…if he works anywhere…where he lives…He even denies being related to Rukia Kurosaki, they are always at school together. I don't know Ran-chan…what should I do…I can't just say…If you don't tell me everything I'm leaving…" Momo lay back on her bed and the black cat she had jumped up on the bed with her. "Do you know what to do, huh, Yoruichi?"

"Girl are you still talking to that cat? And just stick with him, eventually he will trust you enough to tell you everything." Rangiku knew everything, she knew who Ichigo was, what he was, who his family is. But Ichigo made her swear to never tell anyone.

"Momo! Come down, dinner's ready!" Momo's sister, Isane called from the first floor.

"Ah, Ran-chan sorry, dinner's ready! I'll call you back after! Bye bye!"

"Eh…fine bye!"

"Come on Momo!" It was her mother this time.

"AH, yes! Coming!" she bounded down the stairs and when she got down the stairs she ran to the dinner table.

"Nice of you to…ooh, what a nice ring, where did you get it?" Her mother was putting the food out, they were having some noodles with chicken, and she saw Momo running her finger over the ring.

"Ichigo gave it to me tonight, isn't it pretty?" She held it up and her sister grabbed her hand to see it better.

"Oh wow! I saw this one in a magazine…it's pretty expensive…you better thank him properly." Isane let Momo's hand go and started to eat.

"And how expenshive wash it." She took a bite of her food and started talking.

"Momo don't speak with food in your mouth."

"About two hundred thousand yen." When Isane said the price, Momo choked on her food and fell out of her.

"Oh…Momo…" Her mother sighed.

…

"Thanks for inviting me out, I need to get away from my family sometimes…" It was two days later and Momo had a date with Ichigo at around eight. In the meantime Momo wanted to show Rangiku her ring.

"No problem, I wanted to show you my ring because the camera on my phone isn't really working right now."

"It isn't? I'll buy you a new phone." The two girls were startled by the sudden comment from Ichigo, neither of them knew he was there. Or when he got there.

"I-Ichigo? When did you get here? Do…you want to join us?"

"I guess I can. I will have to leave, I'm looking for someone right now." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and a small black pocket knife with pearl inlay on it fell. The two girls just stared at it. "Damn." He bent over and picked it up, putting it back in his pocket. He came over and sat at their table.

"What…the knife for? Who are you looking for?" Rangiku asked, worried a bit.

"Ah, it belongs to Rukia, someone told me they saw her over here." Both girls gave a sigh of relief at his reason.

"Oh, what you said about the phone…you don't have to…" Momo spoke with a smile. Ichigo just smiled and shook his head.

"No, any girl who I go out with is going to be treated like a princess. And yes, this does mean that I will call you by your first name…although we've only been together for a few days. So, Momo, what type of phone would you like?" He asks with a smile, she blushed massively and immediately hid her face by pulling up her hood and putting her head down. She slid her phone over to him.

"One of these."

"Okay. If it's what you want I'll get it."

"Ichigo…why don't you tell Momo where you live? Maybe she would like to visit you?"

"My neighborhood is too dangerous. She nearly got attacked a few days ago within ten seconds of getting into it."

"That was…how did you know!?"

"I saw you. I'm the next head of the Shiba Syndicate?" He's trying to not let her find out yet. He wants to be sure that she genuinely likes him and won't run away when she learns.

"Oh…well I know that's where that Yakuza is based…and that guy was going to attack me." She didn't raise her head, she was still madly blushing by hearing him say her name.

"Trust me, he would have to go through hell and back to hurt you. As long as I can. I will protect you, Momo."

'He's so nice…he's perfect…but if he would just give more…info.' She thought to herself as she looked up, smiling. But it suddenly disappeared. There was someone behind Ichigo putting a gun to the back of his head.

"Don't fucking move." He announced to the restaurant, Ichigo just lazily sighed before putting his hand on the side of his head. There was a loud bang and the man fell over.

"Come on. Let's go." He walked away from the body and took Momo's hand.

…

"What…what, what was that!?" Momo was crying in his arms, he was rubbing her back trying to calm her down.

"I'll tell you, everything if you promise you won't run, or cry anymore…I don't want to see you cry." She stopped her crying at his words. She looked up to him with teary eyes. He wiped away one of her tears.

"O…o-okay."

"I live there, just up the street from where you were attacked, that guy keeps attacking people, but usually runs pretty fast. Don't worry about him. I did kill that man, but that was only out of protection, I keep a pistol in my sleeve at all times. And I am the son of Isshin Shiba, I am the next head of that Yakuza syndicate."

"I…I don't care…I like Ichigo Kurosaki for who he is, a few titles won't change my opinion…and…is that why you insist on wearing long sleeves all the time?" When she asked this he lifted his arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal a small three chamber revolver on a spring mechanism so it doesn't fall out.

"Oh, right, I also wanted to give this to you yesterday, but I forgot it was in my other pocket." He pulled a small box from his pocket and tossed it to her. when she finally stopped spazzing around to catch it she opened it. Her eyes went wide. It was a pair of contact lenses that she said she wanted over a year ago. They were neon blue.

"How…how did…"

"I never forget the dreams of a girl. I happened to be out one day looking for something for Rukia's birthday when I overheard you talking to Rangiku about bright blue contact lenses. So once we started to go out, I looked for them, I found them four days ago." He took his phone out and started sending a message to someone while she put them in. He is sending the message to his father, telling him that he's bringing Momo over. He put his phone on silent because his father didn't know that one text was enough. When he looked up he saw Momo. Her eyes in the neon blue.

"How do…they look?"

'I don't care if he's a future Yakuza head…right now, he's still himself.'

"Your eyes are very pretty like that, if you lose them, don't hesitate to call me. Oh yeah, let me give you my number." He pulls out a marker from his back pocket and rolls up her jacket sleeve. He writes his number and rolls it back down. "Now, pull yourself together, your face is bright red."

…

'He's taking me into the Yakuza syndicate…'

"You don't have to look so tense, all of them are idiots. Don't be so formal, and my dad is…insane. So if he mentions anything sexual occurring between me and my sister, know it is just his misunderstanding of a bad situation."

'That…ah…WHAT?'

"Uh, when you mean sexual…your sister…" Momo couldn't really ask him something like that. She wasn't as outspoken as he was, rather she kept to herself other than a few close friends.

"She likes to sit in my room, one day she decided to take a shower in my personal bathroom, and somehow fell asleep in my bed naked, that's when I went into my room to get something, but I was being followed by my father and he saw it and jumped to conclusions, besides she isn't actually my sister. Oh we're here. Just ignore what is about to happen."

"What do you me-"

"WELCOME BACK YOUNG MASTER! WE HEARD YOU HA-"

"Shut up!" Ichigo silenced the crowd and he pulled Momo in through the courtyard into the main room of the house where Rukia and his father were sitting. He pulled the pocket knife out of his pocket and threw it at Rukia.

"Oh, this is her, she looks a bit different from the pictures you shown me." His dad gets up and greets her. "Isshin Kurosaki! Nice to meet ya! You can call me dad from now on if you want and I expect no less than three grandch-" He was stopped by Ichigo's foot meeting his jaw. Momo was stunned by this display, she knew that guys and their fathers could have a rough relationship…but this was violent.

"You'll have to excuse his volcanic temper, he hasn't killed anyone in front of you yet, has he?" Rukia said as she flipped the knife open and closed.

"Eh? W-what kind of question is that? He kills people!?"

"He is trained in thirty ways to kill a man."

"Eh!?" Momo made a face of confusion and terror. She looked at Ichigo and back at his father who both were laughing.

"Calm down, he said that we should play with you a bit. And that one from today was only the third. He may act calm, but once he lets his emotions out, I usually have to replace a few walls."

"Dad…that's enough. I just wanted to show her where I live, I promised for there to be no more secrets."

"Even that?" Rukia asked, pointing to her left eye.

"Not yet, but in time she will know." Ichigo shook his head and took Momo's hand and led her around, showing her the entire house. He however did not show her his room. He knew someone was in there that he didn't want her to meet. His cousin. A very distant cousin who has an odd attraction for him.

"Um…I-Ichigo…what did your sister mean by that…she pointed to her eye." Momo asked as she was escorted out, the two of them were going to go to her house, but she didn't know it yet.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you soon enough. If I need to I'll even have to show you."

"I don't get it…but I'm happy right now!" She put her arms through his and smiled.

"Is that so?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked down at her new bright blue eyes and smiled. He liked that color much better than the other.

"Yeah! I…I realize that you just killed someone not an hour ago…but it was out of self-defense. Anyway, what I'm happy about is that…you are finally including me in your life…not just a fraction of it."

"Yeah, I was eventually going to tell you about it…but I wanted to be sure that you liked me. For me. And wouldn't run scared when you learned. Honestly…killing is easier than dating you." He sighed and stopped, looked around and his eyes rested on a certain person. He quickly turned and went the opposite direction, ending up in the park from a few days ago.

"Sheesh, what was that for?" Momo complained about the sudden detour. Ichigo let go of her and sat on the grass under a tree.

"I wanted to avoid having to get in a drawn out fight if you're around me, you don't deserve to watch such violence." Ichigo scratched his head and looked at a few clouds.

'For being in the Yakuza…he really is a gentleman…and he does treat me like a princess.' She thought to herself as she sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder.

"Thank you…you said drawn out fight…one guy can fight against you for that long? Weren't you the national Karate Champion three years ago? And a fourth degree black belt?"

"Oh, you've done some research on me." He chuckled. "Yeah, but I recognized someone as a person who really wants me dead. He knows that if he shoots me it will get the attention of the police immediately, so he hangs around with like twelve guys and every time he sees me, they attack, the fight lasts too long, but they usually run away after six of them are unconscious." Kenpachi Zaraki is who he is talking about, a large man with spiky black hair and an eye patch, he thinks that Ichigo killed his daughter Yachiru, when in fact, Ichigo actually saved her from being killed on multiple occasions. She liked playing in the street. Even as lazy as Ichigo can be sometimes, he refuses to see small children suffer. He refuses to even fight if there is a child near.

"Oh wow…that's horrible…you didn't kill her, did you?" Momo asked as she looked at the saddened look in his eyes.

"I don't know how you can ask me that. No I never even hurt her, I saved her from getting run over a few times, she got a bruise or two from me pushing her out of the way of a car…but she died in a freak accident. The problem is that the case was so unique that the police didn't even release that it was what happened. She was playing in the grass in some park near my house, she saw me walking with Rukia somewhere and ran over to tell me something. Probably to say thank you. Well a car came speeding around the corner and…well at least he didn't directly hit her…it swerved and hit a light pole…which fell and smashed in her skull. Right in front of me and Rukia. Rukia couldn't handle that level of blood and…she ran away. I called the police and…before they arrived Kenpachi shown up and was screaming in the street, holding the body of his daughter, he saw me standing there with some of her blood on my arms and face…he immediately blamed me and said I would pay for killing his daughter. He came over to me and I tried explaining what happened, but of course he didn't believe me, who would? A light pole fell and killed a little girl outside of a Yakuza syndicate and the future head happens to be standing there covered in her blood. He didn't even bother to think that it actually happened even if the light pole was lying next to her. when he heard the sirens he ran, and this happened maybe two years ago? Right before we started high school." The only one who knows this story is Ichigo, Rukia, the police who covered it up with a hit and run, and now Momo.

"I…really can't say anything about that."

"You don't have to…just know that I won't hide anything from you, but I can't exactly tell you about my eye right now. Just wait, in the future, you'll know just about everything."

"I thought you would be here. Wanna fight?" The voice belonged to a man who approached from the left, he had red hair up in a ponytail and black tattoos on his forehead.

"No Renji, I won't fight in the presence of my girlfriend."

'Ah this is the first time he called me his girlfriend!' Momo blushed furiously and pulled her hood up, hiding her face from the two, luckily she was a foot and a half shorter than Ichigo so she could easily hide.

"Come on, it's friendly, I just want to have a quick fight. How 'bout this…standard regulation match? First to pin or KO wins? We can go to Tatsuki's Dojo if you want." Ichigo soon realized that Renji wont leave him alone unless they fought. He looked to Momo as if asking for a way out. But then he realized that she was busy being a shy turtle and would be no help in this situation.

"Go on, I want to watch you fight…a real fight…not thirteen on one like you said you were avoiding. I've always wanted to see one of your official fights…I've even looked them up online, but their all bad quality videos from the back of a crowd.

"Really? Great…" Ichigo's sarcasm wasn't picked up by Momo who just giggled and cheered.

…

"Oh? Come back for another ass kicking? Eh, Ichigo?" Tatsuki, the daughter of the Dojo owner, she was a third degree black belt, only because she didn't make it to the advancement test. However she's trained well past sixth.

"Tatsuki, you know that I go easy on you right?" his comment seemed to tick her off. "And besides, I don't want Momo to watch me kick the crap out of a girl. Or vice versa. And I'm fighting him...regulation, first to pin, or KO wins." He pointed to the door to show Renji coming in, he was being questioned by police for something, but it seems they didn't need him if he's there now.

"Oh, Renji, what's up man, haven't seen you in a while." Tatsuki went over and greeted her old friend.

"Can we just get on with the match, you can catch up when he wakes up." Ichigo lazily said as he removed his shoes and socks, jacket, even the sleeve pistol and walked to the center of the mat.

"Fast as ever I see." Tatsuki added.

"You of all people should know that." Ichigo chuckled and Tatsuki blushed a bit.

'What does that mean…?' Momo wonderd.

…

"BEGIN!" Tatsuki shouted but neither fighter moved, Ichigo's fighting style was…different. Even though his moves followed a traditional karate, his stance didn't. He kept his left arm limp at his side well the right one was firmly at his side next to his ribs in a fist. His right leg was out in front on his toes, and the left was in back on the feel. Renji knew that Ichigo doesn't move when he fights unless he has to.

"Oh just hurry up…" Tatsuki groaned.

"Fine! HA!" Renji was the first to attack, he threw a punch with his left only for it to be dodged and countered with a kick to the thigh from Ichigo's left leg and a arm thrust from the left arm just puching him back making him fall over.

"Is that all it took to down you, man you must really be stupid wanting to fight me." Ichigo taunted as he returned to his original stance. Ducking under a high roundhouse and grabbing the leg with his right arm, punching Renji's inner thigh with his left and sweeping his other foot out with his left leg. Ichigo had amazing balance even when being forced on by an opponent. Renji fell to the floor once again.

"He's amazing…!" Momo was watching with wide eyes. Tatsuki looked to her and walked over.

"Hey, I'm Tatsuki Arisawa. You're Momo I guess." She smiled and sat next to her.

"Yeah, Momo Hinamori, this is a nice Dojo. Is it yours? Or your parents?" Momo asked, turning to her and smiling back.

"Yeah, it belongs to my dad, but he's in America for a few weeks for a tournament. So in the meantime I'm in charge here. And you have really pretty eyes, I know this is a dumb question…but is that your real eye color?"

"Of course not, Ichigo bought me these neon blue contacts…and this ring…isn't it pretty?"

'I wish he would look at me like her…' Tatsuki thought to herself, she liked Ichigo for a few years, but never managed to tell him, sure she was the tough outgoing Tatsuki who liked to fight people, but even she turned into a bubbly schoolgirl when she tried talking about her feelings.

"Yeah they are! The blue really makes you look cute…and the ring, I love it!" She wouldn't try to tear them apart, he actually looked happy when he walked in with her, well, happy for having a perpetual scowl on his face. She's only seen him smile a few times. None of them to her.

"Come on Renji, it's not done, you know I don't pin. This will only end when you get knocked out, so you still wanna keep going?" Ichigo asked as he kicked Renji back with a foot to the chest.

"I never back down!" Renji went in to deliver a punch but it stopped a little short and he ducked the counter from the left that he knew was coming and he then got Ichigo in the face with a right punch. Ichigo dropped his stance and stumbled a bit before kneeling down on one knee.

"Well damn, I guess it's time to stop playing." Ichigo said as he looked up, not bothering to stand.

"What? You're still on the g-" Renji was silenced when Ichigo's foot connected with his jaw. Sending him up and back he was done, out cold.

"And that is what happens when you make me drop my stance." Ichigo said as he got up off the ground from a weird reverse position that Momo couldn't even make out what it resembled.

"And that is the end of the match! Winner! Ichigo Kurosaki! By KO!" Tatsuki announced, even though the Dojo was empty today.

"Come on, Momo, I want to go somewhere before it's too late. It's already six. Tatsuki, I'll come by with it tomorrow. I'll leave Renji with you, you two can catch up, if he has any memory left."

…

"So…where are we going?" Momo asked as she walked beside him.

"Your house."

'WHAT!? What should I do…? My family has never seen him before…sure my sister goes to the same school, but she's a year behind us so I don't think she knows who he is…should I call? Should I just show up with him unannounced? What should I do? What do I do?' Momo's mind was on fire with thought. Ichigo was just watching her fidget with her fingers as she blushed.

"You look like you're about to explode, something wrong?" Ichigo asked as he bent over, looking at her face.

"Ah, haha, no…I'm just worried what my family will think…you know…the Yakuza thing?"

"Oh, I get it, don't worry, I'm not just randomly going, I have a plan."

'Oh what could it be…?'

…

"Hello Mrs. Hinamori, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet you." Ichigo said, bowing in Momo's living room in front of her mother and sister. They were shocked, Isane had seen him around school and thought he was the scariest guy there. Well, he was, only second year and was the king of the school. Nobody there knew he was Yakuza except Rangiku.

"Oh my, Momo told us so much about you, you're pretty handsome, no wonder someone as cute as her fell…for…you, Momo, what did you do to your eyes? They're like really bright blue…"

"Oh yeah! Ichigo got them for me, I said I wanted contacts like this a while back and he remembered and found them." Momo looked happy and then her sister got up and went over to her, putting he hand on Momo's forehead and then getting in close. Her sister was a bit weird.

"They're high quality, you cant tell that they are contacts, if they were a different color you could say that it was natural. And plus, those are the kind that you don't remove. Unless you want to. He seems to be treating you pretty well." Isane went back to her seat and her mother spoke up.

"These gifts you're giving my daughter, they are quite expensive. You don't have an alterior motive with them, do you?" Momo wa shocked that her mother would ask such a thing.

"MOM! Don't ask people that!" Momo shouted.

"Yes, I do."

'WHAT.' Momo is mentally imploding while her mother is just surprised by his honesty.

"Well, what would that be then?" She asked. Ichigo just looked in her eyes with a serious expression.

"To make her happy. All I want I for Momo to be happy. If you don't mind me saying, assuming that I'm only giving gifts to your daughter to earn myself sex, is a bit to assuming, don't you think? I will admit, she is a very pretty girl, but I would never do anything to her that would be close to what you are suggesting." Momo and her family were surprised that someone of his appearance was such a gentleman. Momo was looking at her lap blushing.

"Oh, such a gentleman, Momo you have a good man here. Make sure to return his affection." Her mother was smiling at Ichigo, for whatever reason made him uncomfortable.

"I will take care of your daughter, don't worry Mrs. Hinamori."

"Oh please…you don't look the formal type. Call me Retsu." She kept her smile and looked at him and then tilted her head to the left slightly.

'Scary…'

"I…I, okay, I will take care of your daughter, R-Retsu-san." Ichigo found it very odd how he feared this woman, like her smile was the front for a sadistic murderer.

"Would you join us for dinner? Ichigo-kun?" Retsu suggested, it wasn't much of a request, Ichigo heard it as a command.

"Mom, please stop." Momo pleaded, she was already embarrassed enough. Ichigo just put his hand on her cheek.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." he smiled and gave her a wink with the eye that the other two couldn't see. "I would love to, could I just use the restroom first?" He stood up and scratched his head. He kept his left eye closed. "I think there is something in my eye."

"Oh yes! Of course. Up the stairs, down the hall, second door on the right."

"Thank you." He kept his eye shut until he got to the stairs, he opened it, but it wasn't amber like the other one, it was bright yellow.

'Stay inside my head when she's around!'

'Ah, your no fun…I wanna meet her family too.'

He found the bathroom while arguing with the voice in his head. He had split personalities, one was Ichigo Kurosaki, the normal one, who is dominant over the other. Ichigo Shirosaki. Psychopathic, devious, perverted and just plain rude. Ichigo can tell when he's about to come out, from a chemical change in his brain that makes his left eye turn a bright yellow color, to a throbbing pain behind it. he doesn't want to tell Momo right now, she's happy, he figured he would tell her when school started again.

'Can I come out and play…?'

Ichigo didn't even bother responding to him, he started to splash water on his face and watched his eye turn from brown to yellow, yellow to brown. This went on for about two minutes until it finally stopped, Ichigo had control now. He left the bathroom and went down the stairs to see the Hinamori family already at the table. He didn't see a father so he thought that he shouldn't bring it up over dinner.

…

"In recent news, a boy was held at gunpoint earlier today, but the assailant was seemingly shot. The police say there was no bullet to be found, and there wasn't an exit wound. Here is a video of the scene shot from the phone of one who happened to be there." It's four in the morning and the news was on and playing an amateur cellphone video of the incident at the restaurant. Retsu was watching it because she was up with Isane.

'Is that…MOMO AND ICHIGO!? Why was he held at gunpoint…it what…how did that man fall over. I heard a second gunshot…but I don't see one…' She thought to herself as Isane was sleeping on her lap, she had frequent nightmares and her mother would sit in the living room with her until she fell asleep, she doesn't normally have the TV on but tonight Retsu was especially bored. She immediately turned the TV off.

She sat there until morning, replaying the video in her head over and over again. Wondering what would have happened If Ichigo, Momo or Rangiku would have moved at all…

"Mom…what are, oh, Isane had another nightmare." Momo came down the stairs in her little dress that she wore at night.

"Yesterday. I want you to tell me what happened at that restaurant." Retsu spoke quietly but sternly.

'HOW DID SHE KNOW ABOUT THAT!?' Momo was completely worried about this. Would she have to tell her mother about what Ichigo is?

"I…I'm not too sure myself, but the man put a gun to Ichigo's head and Ichigo just sat there and the man fell over…I heard a gunshot, but…I didn't see anyone with a gun and when the man fell over we left in a hurry."

"Oh…as long as you are safe, what about Rangiku-chan? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I talked to her last night after Ichigo left, she said it was scary and it shook her a bit, but other than that, she's fine."

'I must be amazing at lying or she just doesn't expect it from me.' Momo thought to herself as she sighed out of relief.

"School starts tomorrow, Monday, so I want you to be ready. So today, we're going to get your hair done." Retsu turned and smiled.

"Oh, Mom. I like my hair like this, I like it long and I can just put it in a ponytail…"

"Fine fine, but for your first day back we're going to get your hair done anyway, we won't cut it. Okay?"

"If we must…" Momo slumped her shoulders in defeat and went upstairs.

…

"Oh, that's right! Tomorrow is school…How would you like it, ms…"

"Momo…my name is Momo…just make it pretty without cutting it." Momo was annoyed that she had to go out so early. It was only nine in the morning. Isane was getting to sleep in. Her mother was out…somewhere. And Momo was stuck in the chair.

"Hmm…I think… th-"

"Momo?" The voice belonged to Ichigo who was with his sister.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Momo shouted, making the hairdresser silently move aside.

"Rukia wanted me to come with her while she got her hair done."

'They are close…even if she really isn't his sister…wait…could, no, he isn't like that…No.' Momo was thinking to herself as she watched Rukia take a seat on the other side.

"So, your getting your hair done too?"

"Yes, it's a bit embarrassing when you stare like that." Momo smiled and blushed a bit and Ichigo nodded.

"If you say so." He walked away after winking at her. "Hey Rukia. cut your hair. I don't like your hair long, it gets annoying." That wasn't meant for Momo to hear but she did anyway.

"Hey…um, sorry for ignoring you, but…can you cut my hair into a…Hime cut?" She asked the hairdresser who just smiled and nodded.

"Of course Momo-san. And who is that handsome young man, is he a friend? Or more…?"

"H-He…he's my boyfriend…we have been together for only a short time though." Momo blushed and looked down biting her lip out of embarrassment.

"Hey, hey, look up, I can't do the cut you want at such a poor angle."

…

"I…understand…bye." Momo was on the phone with her mother, she was called into work because one of her co-workers fell ill and she had to fill in. So Momo was stuck at the salon. But at least Ichigo was there, well his sister Rukia was there too.

"What was that about?" Ichigo asked, as he walked up to her.

"Eh, my mom had to go to work and…"

"I like your hair. It's pretty."

"Ah, that…eh…ha…thank you." She still wasn't used to him complimenting her so much. "Oh right! My mom had to go to work and I don't have a ride…can you maybe give me one?" She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled.

"That batting your eyelashes trick doesn't work on me, of course you can have a ride, we're dating, what kind of man would I be if I left the girl I like alone without a way to get home?"

'AH MY GOD. He's so sweet! I'm glad he liked me back…or I would have looked like a total fool! A letter? Seriously…who does that anymore!? Apparently me. What's wrong with his eye…'

"Ichigo! Eye!" Rukia shouted, he immediately shut it and ran out of the building and down the street.

"What…" Momo was just confused.

"Hey! Momo…I'll tell you in a sec, just wait for me at the café across the street."

…

"Wha…he has a…what?"

"You heard me, he has a second personality, it is the literal opposite of him, a huge perv, inconsiderate…rude…psychopathic…he calls himself Ichigo Shirosaki when he's in that state. He was planning to tell you at school I think. But…if he doesn't, just act like you don't know anything, just if you see his eye yellow, just mention the word 'Eye.' alone. He will understand."

'She knows everything about him…NO Why am I getting jealous of his sister?'

"You two must be pretty close since you know everything about him."

"Of course, I love him."

"Love him? Like a brother right?"

"A brother? Hell no! he plows me every night!"

"Wh…" Momo immediately felt like crying. Her eyes burned under her contacts.

"Don't look so disturbed and sad! It was a joke! Sorry!"

"Wh-why would…why would you…why would you joke about that!? You rotten bitch!" Momo screamed in the middle of the café, earning her looks from everyone in there, she then started crying. "I…I'm sorry, I…don't know why…I don't know why I acted like that…it's just…he's the only boy who actually cares about me and doesn't just want me for sex…" Momo put her head on the table and continued to silently cry. She felt a hand on her back rubbing it. She noticed it was much bigger than Rukia's should be. She lift her head up and turn her head. It was Ichigo. Just smiling at her.

"It's okay Momo. Rukia is a bitch half the time. Come on, she's staying out tonight…I'll take you home…" He helped her up and left with her, holding her hand gently.

"Ichigo…what…what kind of relationship do you have with your sister!?" Momo shouted making him stop in his tracks and look at the ground.

"What do you mean?"

"What are your feelings about her?"

"I love her, she's my sister."

"Is that all you love her for?"

"What are you implying about me huh? That I screw my sister!? I don't care what kind of joke she told you or not, what you're asking I over the line. Anyone who does anything like that to their family members deserves to hang by barbed wire. I love her because she's my sister, sure, she isn't actually related to me, yeah I know she's pretty, I know that she actually has a crush on me! I don't give a fuck about her feelings right now! I only want to know about your feelings. And my own. So please, in the future, don't ask me such stupid questions." Ichigo was fighting off Shirosaki at this point. Momo could see his eye was yellow. And she could see his tears.

"Eye."

Ichigo was surprised that she knew about it, he hated himself for just yelling at her like that. He would just act as Shirosaki was in control. He shut his eyes and calmed himself down. Momo reached up and wiped the tears away from his cheek. She stood there and waited for him to return to normal. After a minute he opened his eyes and the left was back to normal.

"It's normal now." Momo said with a straight face.

"Momo…I…I'm so sorry…I couldn't keep him from you…" He got down on his knees and bowed.

'He's bowing to me? Why is he bowing…is Shirosaki really that bad? Was he crying because of me, or because Shirosaki took control?'

"its okay, Ichigo. Now get up before someone see's you."

…

"Here we are…" Ichigo said quietly as he pulled up to Momo's house.

"You're still sad about the Shirosaki thing, aren't you? Why don't you come in? My mom won't be home until morning, I hope you don't mind. And knowing my sister, she's out somewhere with her friends."

'She's inviting me in, and nobody is home? I hope she knows I cant actually get back to myself when he takes over. All I can do is hope he doesn't.' Ichigo thought to himself as he looked at the pretty smiling girl in front of him.

"Sure, Rukia isn't getting a ride from me tonight, not if she made you cry." Ichigo parked around the side and got out, Momo was out and went to the door.

"Okay, welcome back to my home!" She laughed as he went in.

"It's really nice. Did I mention that?"

"Yes, you did, twelve times, go sit, I'll make some tea. Get comfortable, it's only two. We have all day." Ichigo did as she said and went into the living room and sat at the end of the couch. A few minutes go by and Momo returns with a cup of tea for him and gives it to him before laying down, her head on his lap.

"I'm sorry for asking you a question that made him come out…I still don't undertand why your eye turns yellow?"

"The doctor said that it was because of a chemical imbalance when he appears that it causes my left eye to turn a bright yellow." Ichigo explained and the put the tea on a little table next to him. He then started to run his hand through Momo's new shorter hair, she closed her eyes and smiled.

"I'm glad that I gave you that letter."

"I am too."

"You kno…you know, I'm jealous of Rukia." Momo kept her eyes shut and her smile stayed, Ichigo's smile dropped slightly.

"Why?" Ichigo asked, not stopping his hand running through her hair.

"Because she knows everything about you and has been with you since you were children, we only met two years ago."

"That doesn't matter, I'll make sure that you're happy, you don't need to be jealous of her, it's only natural for a family to know everything about each other."

"I guess." Momo looked happy, she turned her head to the side and fell asleep. Ichigo noticed this but didn't stop running his hand through her hair, he did however fall asleep there after an hour. And so began the weirdest dream he would ever have.

…

Ichigo woke with a jolt and looked around and realized he was still in Momo's living room. He saw the clock and it read four thirty.

'What the fuck kind of dream was that!? Did…why were they!? What the fuck!? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME!?' He looked down and noticed Momo was gone. 'Restroom, need restroom.'

Ichigo stumbled off the couch and ran up the stairs and found the door. He swung it open and his eyes widened at the sight. Momo was standing there naked reaching for a towel.

"Eh…EH? GET OUT!" Momo screamed as she covered herself with the towel. Ichigo slammed the door shut and ran down to the kitchen to splash some water on his face.

He left the sink and sat at the table. Silently staring at his hands. Ten minutes past and Momo came down blushing wearing a blue shirt and red shorts. She sat on the other side of the table, looking at her hands too.

"Sorry I saw…you…naked." He looked up at her with a red face. He is still flustered from that dream.

"I…what…why did you open the door without knocking!?"

"I really needed to rinse my eye out, I woke up and there was a stinging sensation in my eyes." Please believe me please believe me please believe me please believe me.

"Oh…well that makes sense…and…I didn't particularly mind that you saw…" she said the last part so quietly that Ichigo didn't hear anything.

"Do you forgive me? I respect you enough to know what I did was wrong. So please, do you forgive me?"

"Yes, only because you're such a gentleman. For a Yakuza." Momo smirked a little but she was still blushing. Ichigo chuckled and stood up.

"I guess I should go home now. Get ready for tomorrow."

'And take a cold shower. Whoever invented jeans is a genius.' He added in his mind.

"Ah, ye-yes…I guess that is fine…bye bye." She smiled as he walked over, he bent over and kissed her on the forehead.

…

"Ichigo my son! What adventures have you found yourself in this week?" Ichigo's father asked as he got home.

"Well…killed a man and…WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS!?" he just sat down next to Rukia who looked pissed off at him. She swiftly landed a punch on his cheek knocking him over to the ground. He just got back up and looked at her, getting closer not breaking eye contact, when he was about three inches away he blew air at her face. This pissed her off more than anything else he does. He knew she liked him, he thought her reactions were fun.

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what, dad?"

"HEY DON'T IGNORE ME!" Rukia shouted.

"Ah, well as it turns out…your cousin…is staying with us permanently."

'That must be why Rukia is pissed.' Ichigo remembered how they never got along. Rukia and Apacci never got along. Maybe it was her name? Her weird hair color? Probably the fact that on multiple occasions has tried to have sex with Ichigo. And succeeded a few times, but nobody knew. They were distant cousins.

"Oh…okay, fine with me. I'll go tell her that she can't be hanging on to me all the time. I have a girlfriend now." Ichigo stood up and went to go talk to her, he knew that she would be in his room in one of two ways. Naked on his bed or sitting in his chair with clothes. When he got into his room he saw that she wasn't in his bed but in the chair, and for that he was glad.

"Oh Ichi-kun I was wondering when you would be back today…" she got up and started walking toward him. But she was pushed back onto his chair when she got close.

"No more, Apacci, I have a girlfriend now. I know you're like my ninth cousin or whatever but that doesn't make it okay for you to act this way around me. It wasn't even proper in the first place. It was just sex." That last sentence rang in her head over and over again.

"O-Oh…I see. Well, maybe I'll stop fawning over you in public…OH and I'm starting at your school tomorrow. So you're safe there…but home, oh boy will it be a test of your will power not to sleep with me." She wasn't the type to give up easily. He wasn't the type to cheat on Momo. This will be a battle of iron wills.

…

'Heh…I wonder what he's doing right now…oh my phone…' Momo was sitting alone in her room with her cat. Isane still isn't home, although it's only six. Her phone was ringing.

"Hello?" She answered and her cat jumped off her lap.

"Hello Momo-chan I'm sorry to bother you at such a late time." Momo recognized the voice as the school principal, Shunsui Kyoraku.

"No, it's fine, are you calling about tomorrow?"

"Actually yes, I regret to inform you this, but your homeroom teacher has…disappeared so I'm calling each student individually, you would happen to have…Ichigo Kurosaki's number would you? I can't seem to find his number."

'Eh…'

"I have it. I'll tell him. Oh, Kyoraku-sensei…" he was also for a reason only know to him, the math teacher for third year class one. "What will we do for homeroom then? Just sit there?"

"Ah…I thought ahead and called the class rep, she will be acting as homeroom teacher. That's all, I hope you all have a wonderful end to your second year." And he hung up. She immediately dialed Ichigo's number. When he eventually picked up it wasn't him.

"Helloooo, this is Apacci, Ichi-kun can't come to th-HEY!"

"Sorry about that, my cousin won't go away." Ichigo glared at Apacci to make sure she was staying over in her corner.

"Ah, that's okay…I just got a call from Kyoraku-sensei, we don't have a homeroom teacher anymore…so Ise-san will be acting as our homeroom teacher."

"Ah, is that so…NO. you can't talk to her, and why the hell are you still here!?"

"Your cousin sound foreign, where is she from?"

"I have absolutely no idea, a dumpster in a bad neighborhood, right Apac-AGH! I…I'll…tomorrow…bye…" He hung up. Apacci punched him in the groin, Momo heard the impact.

"Agh…I guess he's just that close with all his relatives…but that time…he said he knows Rukia likes him…does this girl like him too? But she's actually his cousin. He sounded like he is in pain…I hope he's okay."

"I'm home!" Isane shouted from down the stairs, Momo ran out and greeted her sister, sitting at the table, wanting to talk with her.

"So, are you ready to go back to school?" Momo asked, hoping to strike up conversation.

"Not entirely, but there are a few people I want to see. What about you?"

"I'm excited, yeah, I get to see Ichigo everyday…and Ran-chan…and a few other of my friends."

"Speaking of Ichigo, did you see that blue haired girl that was following him around earlier?"

"Blue haired girl?" Momo asked, not knowing what Apacci looked like. She started to get worried, but then she thought something.

'Well, I'm sure that if there are any females in that syndicate they wouldn't look normal…'

"Yeah, I saw him walking down the street headed to that…oh what store was it…they sell a lot of jackets and overpriced things…I don't know, but she looked so weird, he didn't seem to like her much, don't worry."

"Ah but you telling me this is making me…huh?" Momo turned to see her mom come in the door, tired.

"I thought I would be there till morning but a power outage let me leave…thank you, whichever divine being is watching me today." She sighed and sat at the table. "So girls, how was your last day of freedom?"

"I wwas just telling Momo about some girl with blue hair that was following Ichigo around today."

"Oh, Isane, are you spying on your sister's boyfriend?"

…

The day of school. The first day back after the winter break they had, the school was busy once again. Students hanging around in the halls, in the courtyard in the front, some on the track out back. Ichigo and his group of friends, including Momo were on the roof.

"Ah, I missed everyone so much!" Orihime shouted as she ran over to the rail and looked over.

"Calm down, it's only been two weeks." Tatsuki said as she walked over with Renji.

"Are you ever going to stop being such a downer?" Toshiro Hitsugaya mentioned to her. He was Ichigo's friend and once dated Tatsuki, they broke up because the differences turned out night and day.

"And you look depressed. What's wrong Shiro-chan?" Momo asks, this pisses him off to a huge extent so he just leaves.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouts as Ichigo walks over to the group with Rangiku, Rukia and Apacci.

'Is that the blue haired girl? Who is she? Huh…her eyes are different colors. One blue, one brown.'

"Hey Inoue. Oh guys, this is my cousin Apacci, whatever her other name is…I don't really know it."

"It's Apacci Emilou, you asshat."

"Yo Ichigo, I like her already, so how long is she staying?" Renji asked, earning himself a smack from Tatsuki.

"Permanently. And I hate it."

"Oh Ichi-kun, don't be like that." She ran her fingers along his chin and turned away. "That makes me sad, I'll see you later." She leaves.

"THAT. That right there, is why I hate her staying with me. She's obsessed with me."

"So…you…" Momo started to speak and blush a little, Ichigo just came over to her and put an arm around her.

"Don't worry Momo, you're still the only one in my heart."

"Okay…quit it you two, you're making me sick." Rangiku spoke up, she was annoyed that her boyfriend broke up with her last night.

"Hinamori." Some guy called out from the other side of the roof. He had rough brown hair and brown eyes. Next to him was another with white hair and blue eyes. They walked over to the group and just stood there.

"What is it Sosuke-kun?" She replied as Ichigo stared him down.

"Why don't you leave this fool and come back to me?" Sosuke Aizen, Momo's boyfriend before Ichigo. Next to him is Gin Ichimaru, the one who just broke up with Rangiku, he was looking at her smiling like a fox.

"No…you only wanted my body." Momo turned and walked to Ichigo.

"Oh, I don't know what gave you such Ideas, must have b-" He was interrupted by Ichigo.

"Get the fuck out of here."

"And if I don't?"

"You don't want the answer to that…" Ichigo's eye turned a bit yellow. He wasn't going to fight Shirosaki this time.

"Oh…what's with your eye? Its yellow, are you sure that your sane? Hinamori, come with me."

"No, she won't be going anywhere…The girl is mine…not yours…oh…and I am not sane…it's been a while since I got to come out and play…"

"Okay, we should go!" Rangiku took everyone except Ichigo and Momo and left. She knew how Shirosaki talked. And she did not want to see what was about to happen.

"I think he actually has los-ACK!" Gin was interrupted by Ichigo's fist colliding with his throat, and then he brought up his knee into his chest.

"Ichi…go…?" Momo was shocked at how quickly he dropped Gin. She knew he was a third degree black belt.

"Your boy isn't here at the moment please leave a message." He spoke as he gave her a wicked glance, this scared her enough to send her to her knees.

"Oh…it's no fair how this idiot gets you on your knees when I couldn't." Sosuke dodged a punch from Ichigo and backed up a bit, but he misjudged the distance and hit the rail. Ichigo sprinted at him and put his hand around his neck. Gin was getting up off the ground at this point. Momo saw that he pulled a knife out of his pocket. He ran at Ichigo but was stopped by someone stabbing him in the stomach. Rukia had come back and she stabbed him with her knife. She always carried it, Ichigo has his sleeve pistol, but Shirosaki doesn't like using it, he prefers a slow brutal painful death. He stopped moving and fell to the ground clutching his stomach. Ichigo saw this and he pulled Sosuke away from the rail and threw him down on top of Gin. His eye returned to normal. Shirosaki was tired and he saw how Momo was shaking. Even if he was the opposite of the real Ichigo he was still him and had a heart.

"Momo. I'm sorry you had to see that, I don't like how he was talking to you."

"I know…your secret." Sosuke spoke up as he stood up and helped Gin away.

'Fuck.'

"I…Ichigo…please…don't leave me…" Momo started crying, ignoring the onlookers who were also on the roof watching the horribly one-sided fight. Ichigo was surprised that she would say that. He slowly walked over to her and held his hand to her.

"Take my hand, don't cry. I'll always stay with you, if you chose to leave me, I won't stop you if it's what you want. But you can be sure I would never leave you." Ichigo's words reached her heart, she looked up and took his hand, immediately she was pulled into a hug. She kept crying on his chest. He looked around at the crowd and scowled, they quickly dispersed. Rukia felt something in her heart tighten, she felt her eyes starting to burn so she turned away.

"Ichigo…don't be late." She walked away looking down, and when she got to the door with the stairs and got inside, her tears fell.

'Killing is definitely easier than dating her.'


	2. A job and doubts

**So it's frowned upon to work with a blind eye due to surgery (Stupid, I know) so more frequent chapters since I'm stuck here with the unemployed Samanchan.**

**P.S. She's my roommate. And she's been typing nonstop for two days. So I expect something interesting coming out of it.**

**This chapter is short because, I dont have a reason, this just felt...right?**

* * *

"How did you do it? How? How I ask!?" A girl in their class kept asking to Momo, it turned out that Ichigo was one of the most sought after guys at the school, and Momo caught him.

"Kiyone-chan is right! How did you of all people get Kurosaki-kun as your boyfriend?" Momo was being bombarded with questions since new of their relationship spread like wildfire. Ichigo and Rukia were in the principal's office explaining why Gin was stabbed and Sosuke almost thrown off the building.

…

"So it was completely self defense? Wait no, that doesn't matter, how long have you two been carrying weapons to school?" Principal Kyoraku was questioning them with the vice principal Jushiro Ukitake.

"I carry a sleeve gun, I've carried the same one for five years. Here." Ichigo rolled up his sleeve and removed the revolver and took the remaining two bullets out of it and put it on the desk with the bullets next to it.

"Where is the third?"

"In someone's head somewhere. I'm sure you saw the news. Yes, that was my gun that got him."

"Uh-huh…that was self-defense, clearly. He had a gun at your head. Now would you mind telling why you fractured one of Gin Ichimaru's ribs and nearly threw Sosuke Aizen off the roof?"

"He asked Mo-Hinamori-san to do indecent actions, and he verbally abused her. I did what any good boyfriend should do, I took out the trash for his girlfriend. And don't put it all on me, Rukia was the one who stabbed Gin. Speaking of which. Give him the knife."

"I…fine…" Rukia didn't like when she didn't have that knife, it belonged to her real brother and Ichigo kept it until Rukia was fifteen then he gave it to her. She put the knife on the desk, she didn't even clean the blood off of it yet.

"So why are you two carrying these weapons…?" Ukitake asked as he picked up the knife and started wiping away the blood with a blank paper.

"You need to promise that nobody will know about this. I honestly hate this, but it's the reality of it." Ichigo thought they would overreact so he really doesn't want to tell them.

"Yes, nothing leaves this office."

"I'm the next head of the Shiba Syndicate. My father is Isshin Shiba, or Kurosaki, I use my mother's name because I don't like being Yakuza. The gun is merely for protection, I haven't fired it for about a year until that day. Rukia carries that knife around because it belongs to her real brother, he died a long time ago." Ichigo explained slowly, Rukia has yet to even make eye contact with anyone, she was still hurt about what Ichigo said to Momo. He would never leave her.

'I need to make her leave him. He said he wouldn't stop her if it's what she wanted…but he's perfect, there isn't anything I can tell her that would…No. That would do it.' Rukia was busy ignoring the others and trying to think of a way to get Momo to leave Ichigo. She wasn't going to sit by and let a new girl swoop in and steal him before she had a chance to say anything. But she didn't know that Ichigo knew she liked him. She didn't know that he thought she was pretty, that he might have small feelings for her, despite him believing her his sister.

"Well. That certainly opens a new window. Is that why your official record is blacked out, you don't have an address, a phone number, any contact info, just a picture and a birthdate." Kyoraku said as he opened a file with many black marks on it and a picture of Ichigo next to his name and birthdate. Behind that paper were the many offenses he has got against him in the past two years.

…

"I would like to introduce a new transfer student, she comes from America. Please treat her with respect. You can come in now." Nanao Ise, the acting homeroom teacher started and introduced the new student to everyone. The door opened and the blue haired heterochromatic girl walked in.

"My name is Apacci Emilou, nice to meet ya." She wrote her name on the board and went to an empty seat.

"Ah…excuse me Emilou-san, that is Kurosaki-kun's seat." Orihime spoke up.

"Well that idiot is probably going to jail, so I think I'll sit here." She smiled at Orihime and then put her head down, not caring for much of anything.

"Apacci, out of my seat." Ichigo and Rukia came in like nothing happened, he got his pistol back and she got her knife after he explained that his father requires them to carry some protection because people might try and kill them. However, he did agree to start carrying a knife instead of a gun. He didn't get the bullets back. Rukia went to her seat and Ichigo was standing next to Momo and his seats, they happened to sit next to each other.

"Oh, Ichi-kun, don't be like that…" Apacci complained.

"I will be like that, I was one bad excuse form the police taking us away. Don't push me right now."

'He seems really mad…Oh…I wish he sat next to me…' Tatsuki thought as she watched Ichigo stare down his cousin.

"You guys seem close, what's the deal?" A boy came up and asked, short brown hair, green eyes. Ichigo doesn't look at him but responds anyway.

"She lives with me, we're cousins."

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouts at the same time, a few girls pushed Ichigo aside to get over to her and ask questions. Ichigo sighed and found what should have been her seat. Behind Tatsuki.

"I guess I'll be here today." He said to her with a smile.

"Ah, eh…y-yeah…that."

"Are you okay?"

"Mhm…" she gave a fake smile and looked at his eyes. She loved the color of them, brown with a bit of yellow.

"Hey, I was wondering, are you going to be home or at the dojo tonight?" Ichigo asked as he waved his hand at her.

"Uh…my house…why?"

"Good."

"Eh?! What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, there's something I want to show you, I'll come by tonight and show you at your house, less chance of an interruption if we're there."

'What does…WHA…My house…alone with Ichigo…and he doesn't want to be interrupted?' Tatsuki blushed and her mind exploded with a sudden realization. She thinks he's talking about sex. Of course he isn't, but she thinks he is.

"G…great…what t-time?" She asked while turning her face from him.

"About…nine. I have some things to get done before I can do anything."

'Nine!? Why so late!?'

"HEY ICHIGO! Why didn't you tell me that your cousin that was visiting you was so cute?" Keigo Asano. Ichigo's most annoying friend who is a large pervert, shouted.

"Because it's you Keigo! I didn't want you following her around like a lost puppy!" Ichigo joked back and laughed, he never smiled for real at school, just a fake one to fool his friends. The only one to actually get him to smile is Momo. A few times Rukia, because of something stupid she did and he was laughing at her, and once in a while at Orihime's childish ways. Never to Tatsuki.

…

"Okay…come on…I…guys, I have to go home…" Apacci was trying to get away from the crowd of boys she attracted.

"Wow…Hey Momo, do you want me to walk you home?" Ichigo said as he approached Momo and Isane.

"No, that's fine we aren't going home right now, I'm going with Isane to her stupid candy store."

"URAHARA'S SHOP IS NOT STUPID!"

"You actually go to him? I was beginning to think I was his only customer. Tell that Idiot I said hey." Ichigo bent down and kissed Momo on the cheek before leaving. He went over to the group of boys and cleared his throat, they all moved, he took Apacci by the arm and started walking, Rukia was doing something with a club so she was staying after school. So it was jut Ichigo and Apacci, he didn't want to be alone with her, but his father would chew him out if he let her get lost.

"So…Ichi-kun…we're alone now…so now I can ask you something I've wanted to all day."

"Eh, great…what?"

"When we get home will you fuck the shit out of me again?" She didn't know that it wasn't him who did it. It has always been Shirosaki who did anything with her. Ichigo said nothing but kept walking. "HEY RESPOND TO ME!"

…

"Hello Urahara-san." Isane greeted the eccentric candy shop owner with a smile.

"Ooooh, Isane-chan~! How nice to see you again, and you brought Momo-chan again, did you force her to come back, I don't remember her as much of a sweets lover, although…I did get a shipment of watermelon by mistake if you would like some."

"W-watermelon? Yes, how much!? Oh, Ichigo says hi!" Momo loves watermelon. If she could, she would eat it for all meals.

"Oh, that's right Isshin told me that you two started going out…in which case…the melon are free for you. I'll make Mr. Strawberry pay for them when he comes for his Manga tomorrow."

"Oh…he likes manga?" Momo asked, she still doesn't know much about his hobbies.

"Yeah, he comes in every Tuesday, buys some Manga, and about a few pounds of candy. Enough to kill someone as skinny as he is, I guess that candy is for his sister. I think she said she has a sweet tooth." He waved his trademark fan at Momo who looked like she had just won an award. She loved learning new things about Ichigo, well, the things that didn't involve Yakuza.

"Thank you Urahara-san!" Momo took two watermelon from the basket that he had. One in each arm. Isane was browsing the candy selection, she had a big sweet tooth. Usually it would be her mother to go with her, but her mother was working this afternoon.

"No thanks needed. Oh, how is Retsu doing?"

"She's fine, she's just a bit paranoid about Ichigo since nobody knows about who he is except me and maybe a few others."

"Not many people do…Does he still carry the pistol in his sleeve…doesn't he get bored of long sleeves?" Urahara is one of the people who know about Ichigo.

"How do you know?"

"I've known his father since high school, so it's only natural to know about your friends when you know them that long."

"Okay! I got what I wanted!" Momo turned to Isane to see what she got. In her arms was about four pounds of chocolate and other candy.

"Eh…Urahara-san…do you mind making Ichigo pay for this…? I still don't have a job and I didn't get much money from my mom."

"Ah, that's no problem, with his job he makes a good bit of money, he doesn't want me to tell people where he works though, I might suggest that you try to work at that karaoke place downtown, it's called Gotei 13, an interesting name to say the least. I know that they are hiring." He gave her a goofy smile and pushed them out the door.

"he's so weird…" Momo mumbled to herself.

"So, Gotei 13, I heard that its popular with the third years." Isane said. "you should go by once you drop off the melons at home."

…

"Hmm…This is the place?" Momo was standing outside of Gotei 13, it was a small building with a white sign with music notes. She went through the door and there were people laughing and signing some listening to one person in the main room, there were private rooms with people in them, not very crowded, but busy enough.

"Welcome to Gotei 13! Do you need help finding a party?" A girl in a black kimono came up to her and smiled. She had long turquoise hair and her eyes were closed so Momo couldn't see them.

"Umm…no, I'm here for the job, is there still an opening?" Momo asked, looking around, noticing that there weren't any other people who looked like this girl.

"Ah yes! All you need to do is greet people and seat them, can you do that? Oh and be friendly!"

'Her voice is that of a child…' Momo thought to herself.

"I can, um…don't I need to speak to the owner?"

"She's not here right now, but I'm sure she'll like you, you're pretty cute, I doubt there would be any problems…hmm…can you work tonight? We're understaffed, and I'm the only host here right now."

"I…guess so, till what time?"

"Only until eight! You look like you're a high school student so I don't want to keep you out too late. Follow me!" She grabs Momo's hand and takes her through a door to the side. "I never got your name, what is it?"

"Momo Hinamori, and you?"

"Nelliel Tu Oderschvank! Nice to meet you!"

…

"Nelliel! Thank you for giving me the job! I'll be back tomorrow to talk with the owner about what days!" Momo called as she left, it was eight and her shift was over, Nelliel waved back and smiled. She turned and went to tend to a customer who wanted another drink.

"Hinamori-san? Is that you?" The voice was Orihime's.

"Hime-chan? What are you doing here?" Momo asked as she hugged Orihime.

"I was just walking around, buying some stuff." She held up a bag with mushrooms, broccoli and chocolate.

"Oh that's nice…hey, do you know if Ichigo has a job?" Momo asked her friend, they started walking back in the direction of their houses. Orihime lived a few blocks away from Momo.

"Hmm…Kurosaki-kun said he…was…I don't remember…he said it so quietly and wouldn't repeat it…I think he might have said busboy? Not sure…?"

"Oh that's okay, he isn't one to share with people…I just wish he would at least tell me." Momo sighed and looked up at the sky.

'I wish I could fly, the clouds and birds are so care-free…'

"Hey! I have an idea! Why don't we go visit him!" Orihime knew about Ichigo's family, in fact she was one of the only people that he allowed to even enter the grounds of the huge mansion like house. Rangiku, Orihime, Renji and now Momo.

…

"Huh? What do you mean he isn't here?"

"I'm sorry, but he left a while ago saying he was going to a friend's house!" One of the men in the syndicate was kneeling before them.

"Oh…okay then, can you make sure he gets this when he gets back?" Orihime dug in her bag and pulled out a piece of broccoli and gave it to the man.

"Eh? I…Of course! Young Master will receive this broccoli!"

'I wonder what he is doing…and with who?' Momo thought to herself. She couldn't help but still be jealous of Rukia. 'Wait…'

"Whose house did he say he was going to?" Momo asked him as he stood up; he got back down and answered.

"I believe he said something about Tatsuki Arisawa."

'Oh that's good…but still…'

…

Tatsuki was going insane cleaning her room, and putting away her clothes, picking up her underwear off the ground, shoving it into drawers. She was cleaning too quickly and noticed that she was sweating.

"NO. I need a shower!" Tatsuki shouted as she looked in the mirror. She was really nervous about having Ichigo over, sure he's been there other times, but with Renji and Orihime. Never alone. She ran into the bathroom and stripped down. Turning on the water and jumping in, luckily she didn't mind the cold, anyone else would have jumped right back out. After washing for about ten minutes she jumps out and wraps the towel around herself. She ran across the hall and into her room.

"I'm Here!" Ichigo called as he opened the door.

"The hell do you think your doing, not knocking when you enter my house!?" Tatsuki shouted and then slammed the door.

…

"That…was amazing…when did you learn how to do that?" Tatsuki was lying face down on her couch and Ichigo was standing above her.

"I wanted to learn how, since…I don't need to explain, so you liked it, right?"

Ichigo gave Tatsuki a massage; he wanted to know if someone found it pleasurable before he tried it on Momo.

"So, you couldn't have told me you wanted to give me a massage earlier?"

'It was amazing…I just wish tha-'

"Yeah, I didn't want anyone to hear me in class, and…OH RIGHT! I brought you something, here." He reached into the bag he brought and pulled out a Manga and video game. "You said you wanted to borrow these, right?"

"Uh, wow, you actually were listening to me?"

"I hear everything my friends say. I have to go now. I need to give something to Momo." He picked up his bag and left.

'Just…what was he accomplishing in giving me a massage…?'

…

"Momo! You have a visitor!" Isane shouted from the door, Ichigo stopped by to give her something.

"Who? Oh, Hi Ichigo!" She ran over and threw her arms around him, he did the same, rubbing the top of her head.

"Hey Momo, hope you don't mind that it's so late, I brought this for you. Oh and I heard you got a job at Gotei 13. Good luck, the owner is a bit crazy."

"How did you…" Momo was beginning to think that he was following her.

"Nel thought she recognized you, she lives near my house and saw you go in the other day. So she called me and told me." Ichigo started digging in his back and pulled out a small box. It was a new phone in the same model of her old one.

"You actually got me a new phone…you didn't have to." Momo blushed a little and turned to her mother who was just watching with a smile.

"Yes I did. And I'm sorry you had to watch that earlier. I promise it won't happen again in front of you. See you tomorrow its late. Good night."

…

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, it was just a little poke." Gin was sitting in the hospital bed on the phone with Aizen. He called to see when he would be released.

"I'm sure…well, when you figure out when they are releasing you, tell me, then we can get the show on the road." Aizen said, with an evil overlord type feel to his voice.

"You got it. Oh, before I forget, you said you knew his secret? What would that b- No, just talking to my sister!" Gin was interrupted by a nurse asking if it was his parents she wanted to speak with them for something. "What would it be?"

"No idea. But I know he's hiding something. And I'm pretty sure I can get little Momo to tell me it."

…

"Akira-chan, hi!" Momo saw her friend and ran up to her, it was really early, her clock was wrong and she got to school too early.

"Oh…Hinamori-san you're here early." She said coldly. She didn't like how it was Momo who Ichigo chose.

'Why did she call me Hinamori…?'

"Do you mind following me for a minute?" Akira Homura. A girl in class 2-3 who also likes Ichigo. Momo nods and follows her into the school. And through the halls into the girls bathroom on the third floor.

"What did you need?"

"Break up with Ichigo Kurosaki!" Her words struck Momo like an arrow. They have been friends since before high school.

"W-why…Why would I do that!?"

"You don't deserve him! You're not even that pretty! Short. He's six feet and has to bend over to kiss you! He doesn't even like you, I bet! Just another replacement for her!"

"I…don't…replacement…what are you…what are you talking about!?" Momo's face was red with anger at her friend, and twisted in confusion.

"You don't even know about her! And you call yourself his girlfriend! How dare you! You foul bitch!" On her last sentence she slapped Momo across the face. "How dare you play around and show him off like a trophy!"

"Akira-chan…wh…why a-are you doing this!?" Momo fell to her knees and started to cry, she really believed Akira was her friend.

"WHY AM I DOING THIS!? I told you bitch! Two years ago! I said that I liked Ichigo! And you said that you wou-"

"What's all this yelling?" A teacher shouted from the hall as she came in to see Momo on her knees crying and Akira standing there with a balled up fist pulled back about to strike.

"Cyan-sensei!" Momo called out to the tall woman with olive hair and lavender eyes which both surprisingly were natural.

"Homura-san, if you don't give me a good reason why she's crying and you were about to hit her, you will be put before the principal." Sung-Sun Cyan, the Chinese born history teacher was calm and collected about nearly every matter.

"I…" Akira could not come up with anything to say to the woman who gave of an air of 'do what I say' instead she just lowered her fist.

'Damn it! If that bitch teacher hadn't come…!' She thought to herself.

…

"Now, now, Akira-san, you were a model student, top ten in the class, and now you're violently assaulting smaller girls in the bathroom? What sent you over the edge?" Kyoraku was wearing an eye-patch because he got attacked by a cat and it got blinded. He was questioning Akira while Momo was in Ukitake's separate office.

"She called me a…"

"It's okay, I won't punish you for foul language, speak up.

"She called me a foul bitch and so I put her in her place."

"I don't think Momo would do such a thing, for one, you're a foot taller, two, you're a second degree black belt… and lastly…she doesn't say the truth if it hurts someone."

…

"Now Hinamori-san. Is this true? She cornered you and verbally assaulted you, then slapped you, that's when Cyan-sensei found you two?" Ukitake asked Momo who still had a red face and teary eyes but wasn't crying anymore.

"I have no reason to lie to you. That's what happened." She didn't know that in the other room Akira said that Momo insulted her. Momo didn't say what she said about Ichigo.

"Well, now all that is left is to see if the stories match. And then we'll act on which we feel is true."

"Yes."

"Jushiro, we're done." Kyoraku poked his head in and said he was done asking Akira questions, Ukitake nodded and motioned for Momo to get up and follow him into the main principal's office. Ukitake and Kyoraku whispered to each other what they had heard and then nodded.

"Both of you…told opposite stories. And we decided that Momo is not lying."

"That's bull! How do you come up with that?" Akira shouted with her hands in fists.

"We figured we would test reactions from you, Momo is still sitting there politely silent, looking sad. And you just look angry and yelled at us. I'm sure if I said that she was lying her reaction would have just been surprised, not violent like yours. Akira, we're going to have a little talk with you, Momo, you can go home for today, I'll say you were sick."

…

"Damn, Rukia…Apacci, just ignore each other, can you? For me?" Ichigo was getting annoyed at the constant fighting from the two. He was on his way into the school and wasn't paying attention when he bumped into Momo, knocking her down.

"Ah…who? Ichigo?"

"Oh, sorry! Momo, are you okay?" He offered his hand down to her and she reached for it, but as she got closer she pulled away.

"Ye-yeah…I'm fine! I just feel a bit sick, so I'm heading home…" She got up and tried going past him but he grabbed her arm.

"Wait…you look like you were crying, is something wrong?"

"N-no! I'm fine! I just need to go home and rest…" She pulled her arm away and kept walking.

'A replacement. Am I just a replacement? Would…does he like me…or am…who am I replacing?' Momo was beginning to doubt Ichigo's feelings, and her own. 'What if what she said is true…I'll go visit his father…'

…

"Oh, Momo-chan? What do you ne-wait, school, why aren't you at school with everyone else?" Isshin was walking around when he found Momo looking lost in front of a room.

"Oh…hello…and no, I was sent home, I'll explain later. But I have a few questions about Ichigo…"

Isshin lead her into a room that was empty and they sat down, Momo explained what happened this morning and asked Isshin about Ichigo's past girlfriends and he revealed that he only had one in the past.

"I remember her, how do you know about her, surely he didn't tell you?" When he started talking about his last girlfriend his expression changed to a sadder one.

"I…no. But…who was she? Does she go to our school?"

"N-no…I doubt she goes to any school anymore, you see…she committed suicide after Ichigo saved her from those two guys, I guess what they did to her was too much for her already fragile mind to handle and she couldn't stand life anymore."

"Wh…what happened to her?"

"Promise me that you won't bring this up unless Ichigo does…"

'Is it that bad? He looks like he's about to have an emotional meltdown.'

"I promise."

"They killed her father in front of her and made her watch as they raped her mother, then killed her. and then they took turns on her eventually just leaving her there. She lay there for probably three hours until Ichigo found her. About four days later someone found her in a cemetery dead on her mother's grave with a note in her hand that said… 'I can't exist with these memories. Ichigo Kurosaki…I love you. Goodbye until the next life.' He then stopped even giving his name to people unless he really needed to. He was depressed, I think he loved, no…still loves, her too. But he stopped being depressed when he started high school. I'm starting to think because of you."

* * *

**Samanchan: Aahaah, relationship doubts! Wondrous, wondrous doubts! And who is the first girl!? BAH! TELL ME!**


	3. Matchmaking and Smuggling

"She…killed herself…wh…the two men…they were caught?" Momo just finished sitting in silence for five minutes after Isshin told her about the girl.

"Remember how I said he's only killed a total of three people?" Isshin looked at the sad girl sitting in front of him, the door slid open to reveal a maid carrying a tray of tea, she set it on the table and left. "He asked her neighbors if they saw anyone enter that house. Eventually someone said they saw them and thought they might have been family friends because they were smiling when they went inside. He got what they looked like, and he spent two days looking for them, he found them robbing a gas station, he went inside and put a bullet in each of their heads. And called the police on himself."

"A…what happened when the police came…?"

"He explained everything, and the case wasn't released to the public, he was dropped of all offenses."

"C-can you show me her house?" Momo had tears streaming down her cheeks, she felt sad that he loved this other girl so much. She felt jealous. She wanted to be the one in his heart. The only one.

"I will, I'll show you even where the cemetery she's buried is, but I won't show you her grave, I won't even tell you her name, I think my son should tell you her name if he wants to."

…

"Who lives here now?" Momo was looking up at the two story house. It had a wall with a gate in front of it and a building connected to the side that said Clinic, there was a name but it's gone now. There was a boarded up window on the second floor.

"Nobody. Ichigo bought it so nobody would live here. He keeps it the way it has been since the day she died."

"How does he make so much money? What does he do?"

"He works a few days a week as a cook for some karaoke restaurant somewhere, but other than that, not even I know where he gets it." Isshin looked over to the clinic and started walking to it. he stopped a few feet from it and sighed.

"This is also where my wife was when I met her. in this clinic. We didn't know it at the time, but seven years later we would be getting married. She was there because she cut herself in her garden, I was there because I got hit by an ambulance. Of all things to run me down, an ambulance. Nothing serious, fractured femur. I was sitting next to her, it was really busy that day…"

'Why is he telling me this?'

"Your wife…is she…?" Momo didn't want to be disrespectful and ask if she was dead, so she stopped.

"Dead? Yeah, come by our house on June 15th, I'm sure Ichigo would like the company of you when he visits her grave. Both of their graves."

'Both graves…that…his mom and this girl…are buried in the same place?'

"What are you two doing here?" Ichigo asked, he left the school to find Momo. After going to her house and finding out that nobody was there, he went by Gotei 13, the park, and anywhere else they've been, when he went to his house, he found someone who told him that she left with his father and she was crying.

"I sh-should ask you that!" Momo shouted as tears poured down her eyes still.

"You were avoiding contact with me, and pretending to be sick. Kyoraku told me everything about you and Akira. Now I see why you're avoiding me. You think you're a replacement? No. There is nothing that could replace her, not even you. Not yet. I loved her, yes, I really like you, but it isn't love yet. So…also, stop crying, it makes me want to hold you close, but you don't want that right now. Dad. I take it you told her about…"

"Everything." Isshin smirked and walked away. "Don't let her go Ichigo. It always ends badly when you let the girl walk away!"

"I-Ichigo…who was she? I at least want to know her name…Please tell me…"

"No." He replied and shut his eyes and inhaled sharply.

"O-oh…I s-"

"I'll show you." He walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

…

"This…cemetery…my…never mind." Momo stared up at the cemetery sign. Karakura Burial. The cemetery sign was a bit destroyed, but still readable.

"I know already. He's next to her." Ichigo lowered his eyes, he knew that this is where her father is buried.

'What does…?'

"Although…he doesn't have a first name listed on the stone…why is that? It just says 'Hinamori, loving father, the greatest husband, me and your daughters miss you.' That is your father, right?" Ichigo led her in and started going in a general direction.

"Yes…but it's…the other way…" Momo knew her father was buried in the opposite direction.

"I want to introduce you to my mother first. I want her to see that I found another girl who can make me happy."

"Introduce…but…" Momo was starting to think he is completely nuts.

"I think that spirits never leave, the souls of us…they just watch over their loved ones…I think that the strongest connection to the wandering soul of someone is through speaking to their dead body…here we are." He stopped in front of a headstone that read 'Masaki Kurosaki, the most beautiful, kind woman on this earth, wife, mother of three…rest here, we'll see each other soon. Your loving family.' Momo noticed how it said three.

"It says three…"

"My real sisters…Yuzu. Karin. Both died at a young, young age…around the time we found Rukia…a bit before actually, they got sick with a very bad disease, and their young bodies couldn't fend it off."

"I'm sorry…you didn't mention anything…so I didn't know." Momo looks away from him and down at the grave.

'He can't be serious…he talks to h-"

"Hi, Mom. It's been a while…a few months…sorry I don't come by more than once a year…but I want to introduce you to someone…this is Momo Hinamori…my new girlfriend…She makes me happy. I still miss her though, you remember, you introduced me to her when she moved in, you knew her father from college and you took me over to meet her. yes, we did stay together…but I'm sure you know how it ended…she's probably there with you…watching us, I know she loved me, no, loves me. I still love her too…but…I know I need to move on…I need to make room for Momo. Sorry if I'm getting off track…I just…don't know how to move on…" He was smiling, but tears were falling.

'He really is the opposite of a Yakuza…he's so kind, considerate, respectful…loving…I…really don't deserve him…it's…getting oddly colder…why, there's no wind…' Momo started tearing up as well. She fell to her knees and watch Ichigo as he silently cried.

"I'll see you both later, until than…wait for us."

…

After they left Masaki's grave, they sat under a nearby tree for a few minutes to let Momo calm down a bit, she's been really emotional today. After a few more minutes, they got up and made their way to the other two graves.

"Here they are…"

"Ichigo…you said that she is next to him…which one is it?" Momo looked at the multiple graves around her father, three of them were just one name. Sadako. Muren. And a third that was scratched away with a knife.

"This one." He stood over the one that was scratched up, but he turned to Momo's father's grave. "Hello. Your grave doesn't have a name other than Hinamori on it. But you're Momo's father, I just wanted to know if I have your approval of dating your daughter? I will protect her with my life, all of my power and heart, are hers to use as she wishes, I will always stay with her." After a few seconds of Silence he smiles. "Thank you, Datoru-san."

"I…never told you his name…how did you know it!?" Momo was just surprised and confused.

"Oh who knows…now, I'll introduce you to her." Ichigo heard the name in his head for some reason, like Shirosaki was helping him remember a name.

"I…"

"Senna...can you forgive me? I never got your answer last time I was here…I had to leave abruptly. This is the girl I was talking about…I feel happy around her, just like you. She makes me smile. Not that fake smile that you hated, but the one you loved. The one I'm sure she loves. So do you forgive me for wanting to move on? Hmm, Senna?" He looks up and the tree's rustle a bit in the wind. "Thank you for understanding."

"Ichigo…I…why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Talking to the wind!? You think spirits exist? Are you okay right now?"

"There is only three people who know who is buried here. And you're calling me crazy? Are you just sad that someone who I honestly hate, said that I didn't like you? Well tough shit, I don't like you damn it! Momo! I love you. I know that we haven't even been together a month…but…around you…I feel even happier than I was with Senna! Please…just…go along with my mental breakdown…just a bit longer? Okay?" He had tears in his eyes as he looked back to her. She stood there in silence, the only noise could be heard would be the souls of those buried there encouraging her to be with him, by using the trees and wind as a voice. Momo just walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

"I will deal with your insanity until the world ends, I lo-love you too."

"You hesitated…are you sure, if not, it won't hurt me…"

"N-no, I'm fine…I just haven't spoken that phrase to anyone in over five years…"

"I'm glad it was to me…" He looks at her father's grave and mouths the words thank you. Ichigo has always believed in spirits, he even insists that he's seen them, but he wouldn't pressure Momo with more mental burdens.

"Honestly, can you at least not talk to the dead and go insane at the same time?" Ichigo just pulled her tighter as he struggled to keep Shirosaki away, he put his arms around her and pulled her close, to keep her from seeing his eye. But they didn't know that someone had followed them.

Over behind a nearby tree there was someone watching them.

"He…talks to the dead? You hear me…he talks to the dead it seems. He just finished talking to that dead girl…the one he went out with before Hinamori, remember…the one who always had that goofy smile on." It was Sosuke. On the phone with Gin.

…

"Come on I think the owner of Gotei 13 would be there now." The time was now 4:40, the two of them stayed out of school and were just wandering around.

'Hmm, should I tell her I work there three days a week? Nah, I'll let her figure it out.' He thought to himself as they approached the restaurant.

"Oh yeah, your dad told me you're a cook somewhere, where is that?"

"Who knows?" Ichigo smiled at her and they arrived. They go inside and Ichigo steps to the left, dodging a peach that was thrown at him, it flies into the street. "Every time…Every time, Kukaku. Once I would like to walk in without a fruit aimed at my head. Do you just stand there with fruit?" He was talking to a woman in a black kimono like the others, but she had bandages around her messy black hair and a red sash around her waist, instead of a white one.

"Who's she, Ichigo?" Momo asks.

"That. Is the owner, Kukaku Shiba, my father's older sister."

"Oh, you must be Momo. Nelliel was right, you're pretty cute. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday. Is that good?"

"Y-yes!"

'I only work with her on Sunday…'

"Hey, Kukaku, might we work today?" Ichigo asked, its Tuesday neither of them actually work that day. Ichigo is Monday, Friday, Sunday.

"Yeah fine, Mila never showed and Tousen, I think he went blind…so…yeah, fine with me. But I swear, I will hit you with a fruit one of these damn days!" Momo was just so confused with Ichigo at this point she just stopped trying to understand.

"WAIT this is where you work!?" Momo shouted at Ichigo, he didn't answer, instead he just kissed her forehead and walked away into the back room.

"Hmm, you two dating? Keep the feelings out of the workplace, Momo, you are probably the cutest girl here, so, earn the money I'll pay you."

'Cute…I'm the cutest….impossible, Theres that Nel girl, she's so cute! And…I don't even know who else works here!' Momo thought to herself as she blushed and pulled out her phone to tell her mom she will be a little late.

…

"Momo, I'll see you tomorrow I hope you actually come to school tomorrow." Ichigo said as he went the opposite direction as Momo. He wasn't heading home. He was going to talk to Rangiku.

'I wonder where he's going…he lives this way…' Momo thought to herself as she walked.

Ichigo made sure that his phone was off, he didn't want to be bothered. He made his way to Rangiku's house and knocked on the door. Toshiro answered the door, they were step siblings, and he lived with Rangiku Monday through Thursday.

"Ye-Kurosaki? What are you doing here?" Toshiro asked, looking like he was asleep.

"Nothing, is Rangiku here? I need to speak to her." Toshiro went to go find Rangiku, she came a few seconds later, wearing blue shorts and a yellow tank top. The tank top was a bit small for her. Ichigo used all of his will power to keep from staring at her figure.

"You need something Ichigo?" She asked lazily. He looked away and responded.

"First, could you put more clothes on, I need to talk to you about Momo." He looked her in the eyes and she understood. She nodded and let him in.

"I'll go get changed, we'll leave in a minute. Toshiro, we're going out for a few minutes…and he's asleep again." Toshiro was asleep on the couch.

'I never noticed her body before. At school the uniform hides so much. Wow.' Ichigo thought as he stood near the staircase waiting for her.

"Alright, lets go." She came down in a jacket and jeans and grabbed Ichigo dragging him out.

"Where are we going anyway, I just want to talk."

"Well, I'm hungry and you can buy me dinner if you want to talk right now."

'This girl. How can she be hungry all the time…'

…

"So…Wha yo wan talk bout?"

"Could you at least act your gender? Chew and swallow, then speak."

Ichigo bought Rangiku a burger and some fries, she took a bite and then started speaking. She finishes chewing and then speaks.

"Sorry, didn't eat dinner today and Toshiro is lazy, so what's up, what about Momo?"

"Well, you knew her long before I did…Her and Sosuke Aizen…how…close were they? When they dated? I saw him watching us at the cemetery today. Talking to someone on the phone." Ichigo didn't say anything to Momo because she was barely tolerating his mental breakdown.

"Wait, that reminds me!" She reaches across the table and smacks his head. "That is for skipping today and not giving me the homework first at least to copy it! Cyan-Sensei scolded me because of you!"

"O-oh…sorry I'll make it up to you…but tell me…about those two." Ichigo sighed as he rubbed his face where she hit him; they had a like/dislike relationship. One second they were friends, next second they didn't speak.

"Oh…yeah, well, she was hopelessly in love with him, for his personality, she believed him kind, caring, everything you are. But. Not you. When she explained her true feelings on one of their dates…he denied them saying that he only wanted sex. He wasn't in the mood for a real committed relationship."

"That Bastard. Aizen…when you say explained her true feelings…"

"She told me this… 'I was about to say I love you to him…but half way through the word love…he said stop and told me what he really wanted…I hate him.' Ichigo, you don't understand her that much yet. Not once has she ever said she hated someone. She said that she hates him. I'm sure that she'll smile around you when he's nearby, but that's only because you can hold her close and comfort her. if she were alone…who knows…"

"Rangiku…thank you for telling me this."

"You're buying me dinner for the next week since because of you that snake woman scolded me. I swear, she actually is a snake in disguise…have you seen her tongue, it's much too long…"

"Just shut up and eat your burger, I'll be right back." Ichigo stood up and went to the counter to order, he got himself a drink and some fries.

"You going to ever tell her your second 'job' I mean, isn't it suspicious, that she knows you work at Gotei 13, a cheap little karaoke restaurant thing, yet you bought her a diamond and ruby ring, a new phone, contacts, and what if she finds out that you own Senna's house." Rangiku knows just about everything about him. She is worried that he's going to keep being secretive.

"Hey, she doesn't need to know the details. A couple hundred thousand a month isn't bad. The second job is once a month, and plus, it isn't exactly legal, so no, I won't tell her. And she already knows all about Senna. That's why we were at a cemetery. You do know someone is watching us, right?" Ichigo looks down at his fries and sighs.

"Eh, What where!? Is it a perv, do they know I'm not wearing anything under the jacket!?" Ichigo just looks at her confused and blinks.

"The hell are you talking about. No. Well, I'm not too sure about the pervert part…but look over there." Ichigo points out the window and at a tree. A guy in a black hood starts running away. "And why are you not wearing anything under that…" Ichigo finished his drink and looked back at her for an explanation.

"Because…I…feel like you wouldn't care if I was wearing a bra or not, it's not like I'm stripping for you or anything." She smiled and he nearly choked on his fries. "What, something I said?" She was a tease, as Ichigo labeled her, but a good friend.

"I guess you're going to force me to buy you dinner…"

"Yup!" She smiled and leaned back on her seat.

"Just explain it to Momo so she doesn't get jealous. I mean, it just looks suspicious. The tall mysterious guy eating dinner with the blonde beauty, total movie set up."

"Oh? Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Rangiku sounded really happy at that moment.

"I'm taken, not blind."

…

"Honestly, he knew you were there…? Then why did he keep eating with my ex?" Gin asked in a park alone with Sosuke. Gin was released that morning. Sosuke was following Ichigo all day.

"He just out of the blue pointed at me! Either way, I think I know something about him…he talks to the dead and is cheating on her with your ex."

"Oh boy, this is juicy…wait 'till everyone hears how the mysterious Kurosaki spends his time…" Gin grinned his fox smile and started walking away. "I'll be back at school tomorrow, Aizen-san. You better be there early, and make sure it can't be traced back to us."

"It never is."

…

"Momo…why were you not at school today?" Isane asked as Momo came in the door and slumped on the couch.

"Isane…not even three seconds and you're questioning me?" Momo cried at her sister, she smiled and then dropped her face on a cushion.

"Better me then Mom, she was told you were sick, she'll be home in a few minutes, you better jump in the shower, you smell like peaches and gunpowder…dirt…where the hell were you.

"School. Ichigo's house. His ex's house. Cemetery. Work. I smell like gunpowder because that's what his dad smells like. I smell like peaches because Ichigo and the owner of Gotei 13 had a peach war in the kitchen. I smell like dirt because we sat in the dirt at the cemetery. Did you know…that the scratched up stone next to dad…is his ex-girlfriend?" Momo didn't look at Isane. She just lay there for a second before getting up. "And, I have a present for you."

"A present? What is it?" Isane smiled and ran over to her sister.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand." Isane did that and Momo dug into her bag. And pulled out a plastic box with a fish cake in it. "Here you go, open them."

"OH YOU BITCH! I'LL THROW YOU IN THE SHOWER MYSELF!" Isane dropped the box and drug Momo up the stairs and into the bathroom. She threw her into the shower and turned it on. Luckily her phone was in her bag.

"Oh why do you do this." Momo just sat there smiling at her sister.

…

"Oh…what's this? This is no good." Ukitake came in early the next morning to find the ground spray painted reading 'Ichigo Kurosaki speaks with the dead and is cheating on Momo Hinamori with her best friend!' He quickly ran inside and called Kyoraku.

"What, what, Jushiro, I'm on my way, what do you need so early?"

"Bring some paint. There's a problem…"

…

"Oooooh this again. I did something like this when I was a kid, remember? Retsu licks poles and speaks to spirits? What don't give me that face." Kyoraku smirked and Ukitake frowned at his poke at their old friend.

"As I recall, her name wasn't Retsu back then, it was Yachiru. And also Unohana. Now it's Hinamori. Anyway, help me paint this, make it a black shield, we'll say that we're painting a school crest on it."

…

"Yo, Ichigo! You missed it yesterday!" A buy from the class called over to Ichigo who was with Rukia and Apacci.

"What now?"

"Keigo got a kiss from your cousin." Orihime mentioned as she walked up to the three. Ichigo just turned to Apacci

"Don't look at me like that! I said school is different!"

"W…whatever…does anyone know what this is anyway?" Ichigo pointed to the black shield shape on the ground. He looked around and saw Gin and Sosuke looking displeased.

"It's where we're putting our crest, seal, whatever you would like to call it." Ukitake approached them.

"Oh, hello Ukitake-san. Ichigo, Rukia, Emilou-san." Momo approached them with her sister.

"Did Rangiku talk to you?" Ichigo asked as he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, but she didn't tell me why…?"

"She…is a hard girl to argue with." Ichigo smiled and took her hand and started walking away. "We'll see you in class; I have something to give her. See ya."

…

"So, what did you want to give me?" Ichigo just smiled at her, they were alone in a hallway most of the students were in the classes. "Ichi-" Ichigo just bent over and pressed his lips on hers, surprising her, and his eyes were closed. After a second of figuring out what was happening, she closed her eyes as well. This was the first kiss like this between them.

"I hope you liked your present?" Ichigo asked as he pulled away, Momo was speechless, blushing madly. Ichigo started walking away. "Are you coming? If you don't hurry you'll be late!"

"Hinamori-san! You're late!" Nanao Ise shouts, she came in the same time as Ichigo though.

"But…I came in the same time he did!" Nanao just looks at her and sighs.

"Kurosaki, that isn't your seat…" Nanao says. Ichigo is in Apacci's seat because she's in his again.

"Does it matter? I mean, Apacci wont move, I'll just sit here."

…

"So, Ichigo…how about something nice for dinner tonight?" Rangiku says. It's lunch and their on the roof, Ichigo, Momo, Rukia, Apacci, Rangiku, Keigo, Tatsuki and Toshiro.

"Honestly, you'll be lucky if you get a burger." Ichigo jokes at her earning laughs from the group.

"Just put anything in front of her, she'll eat it." Toshiro speaks up, Rangiku throws a piece of bread at him.

"Shut up! So…Rukia, you're looking a bit cuter than usual today. Whats the occasion?" When Rangiku said this Momo looked over to Rukia, she had a small black bow in her hair and some blush on her cheeks.

'Why is she like that…?' Momo thought to herself as she put her hand on Ichigo's.

"What, I cant be cute?" She asks, pretending to be offended.

"You usually are cute. Just a bit more today. Trying to impress someone?" Ichigo spoke up. He really does think she is cute, this however makes Momo worry. Even though he said that he loves her, she still has doubts.

"Actually, yes, I am trying to make someone notice me. It's a secret though."

'Secret? Bullshit.' Ichigo thought to himself as he chuckled. Suddenly he was punched in the face by Tatsuki.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" Ichigo shouted, looking up at Tatsuki standing above him.

"You just looked like you needed that." She just turned and left.

"What did you do to her to piss her off like that?" Apacci asked as she finished chewing her food.

"I honestly have no idea? Maybe I said something?"

"I'll go talk to her." Momo stood up and went to go find her.

…

"Hey. What's up today?" Momo found her alone in the classroom.

"What do you want…?"

"I want to know what's wrong? Anything on your mind?"

"I…just…nothing…"

"I know enough to know that what just happened wasn't nothing." Momo crossed her arms at Tatsuki, she just scratched the back of her head.

"I'm just…it's that time…"

"O-Oh…OH! Okay…I'll tell him not to worry about it…

…

"I need to make a call, hold on." Ichigo stood up from the group and walked to the other side of the roof, pulled out his phone and started dialing.

"Designation." The voice on the phone said.

"Five. Thirteen. Ten. Destination and contact?"

"Naruki, contact name Ginjo. We will send you the location." The other man hung up. Ichigo put his phone away and went back to the group. Momo was already back, and laughing at something Rangiku said.

"What was the phone call about?" Toshiro asks, Ichigo just stares at him for a second.

"Uh, my boss…I wanted to tell her I can't come in…"

"Shut up Toshiro, don't pry into the mystery that is his life." Rangiku knew what the call was, it was the only time he called anyone, but needed to be alone for it.

"I cant believe I have to live with you…"

"Well you do! So deal with it!"

"Ichigo, I want to talk to you alone for a second. Can you come here?" It was Rukia, she was standing up and pointing to the stairs.

"Uh, yeah, I guess, sure." Ichigo follows her down the stairs and into the hall way.

…

"So, what did she want to talk to you about?" Momo asked Ichigo as they got back in to the class.

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

'Sure you say don't worry…that only makes me worry more…'

"I…If you say so. Oh, my mom told me that she wants to talk to you tonight…if you can."

"I…fine…what time?" Ichigo really didn't want to talk to Momo's mother again.

"well, she gets home around six tonight…so seven?"

"I'll be there." He smiles and kisses her cheek before returning to the seat behind Tatsuki's but it was empty. "Where was Tatsuki, Momo?"

"Oh…she's, she felt a bit sick."

"Oh…I wanted to apologize for whatever I might have done."

The rest of the day, Tatsuki was nowhere to be found, Ichigo decided to head to her dojo after school to see if she was there, if not he would check her house. After walking for a while he came up to the dojo. There was a sign that said closed, but Ichigo went in anyway, he found Tatsuki doing a routine, kicking around in the air.

"Hey, Tatsuki, what the hell was that for earlier!? I know you weren't sick like Momo said." His shout scarred her and nearly made her trip.

"Ichigo! What are you doing here?"

"I want to know why my best friend punched me in the face."

"I…I'm sorry." She looked away from him and stared at the ground, her face slightly red.

"I forgave you the second you did it…Tatsuki, did I do something to make you mad?"

"Why did you give me that massage!?" She turned back to him and stared at him.

"You seemed to be really tense and stressed, I thought it would help you. Is it so wrong for me to worry about my friend when she seems troubled?"

"I-Ichigo…I like you!" Her words blindsided Ichigo like a truck. "I have for years! Whenever I would try to tell you, I would just…I don't know, somehow the subject changes…and I…it hurts me that you gave me a massage, are dating Momo, and then you call your step sister cute!? Do you know that I can only take so much, and then draw the line?" Tatsuki was doing her best to not cry. She wanted to look strong, storng enough not to cry.

"Tat-Tatsuki…I…I used to have feelings for you…before high school. But now…I don't. I don't feel the same way about you that you do for me…I don't want you to feel hurt, just…feelings aren't always returned from the one you want. And you said…years…what about when you were with Toshiro?"

"Sure…I liked him but I also still liked you…"

"I'm sorry Tatsuki, I love Momo."

"I know, I just need to say it…I still want to be friends…is that okay?"

"Tatsuki, we've been friends since we were really young, there isn't much that would change that." Ichigo moved over to her since he noticed the tears in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, soothing her.

"Thank you…Thank you Ichigo." Just then his phone rang, he sighed and let go of her and answered.

"Hello?"

"Designation."

"hold on. I'll be right back, need to take this." He walks away from Tatsuki. "Five. Thirteen. Ten. Is it time?"

"Change of plans…" Ichigo listened to the new address and when he heard it, it shook him, it was in front of Momo's house.

"Oh…it's you this time, must be important. What do you want me to do for him?"

"Put simply, he wants you to steal something that was stolen from him by his dead step brother."

"Steal something? What?"

"A sword, unfortunately that's all he told me. He'll meet you there at two A.M." The man on the other line hung up.

"Damn it, old man." Ichigo mumbled as he came back to see Tatsuki sitting on the floor, staring at him.

"Steal something? What the hell was that about?" Tatsuki shouted at him.

"Ah, a tactical war game me and a few friends play. Just a game. They want me to steal some ceremonial sword."

"You said old man…"

"Code names…mine is Substitute." Ichigo is really good at lying to her, since she believes everything he says.

"Oh, seems fun, can I join?"

"Do you have army knife training?" Ichigo asked with a smirk.

"No…"

"Then no you can't." Ichigo walked over and sat next to her and pulled his phone out again. He started to text someone.

"Who are you texting?" She asked as she tried to look at his phone.

"Someone you don't know. But I've been called the same person as him, but with different hair color. I have a feeling you'll like him." Ichigo texted his friend Kaien Xiba. They look like twins, but with different hair color.

"Oh, who?"

"You'll see…if you don't already know, then you'll have to wait."

…

"Ichigo! You in here, man?" A voice called after the sound of a door opened.

"That's him, over here! Kaien, over here." Ichigo shouted and a second later a guy who looked like Ichigo with brown hair came in.

"Oh, hey…and this must be Arisawa-san, nice to meet you, I'm Kaien Xiba." He bows to Tatsuki and she smiles.

'Such a gentleman…but, are these two related…his name is the same as Ichigo's dad…

"Hi…Nice to meet you, Tatsuki Arisawa." She spoke as she stood up and walked over to him she looked up at him and blushed a bit.

'Ah…he's exactly Ichigo…he's handsome…and his voice is better than his.' Tatsuki thought to herself as she turned away blushing.

"A-are you okay? Ichigo, is she sick?" he asks Ichigo who's just laughing at her reaction.

"She thinks your h-" Ichigo got punched in the face and fell to the floor. Tatsuki turned to Kaien and smiled.

"Sorry, sometimes the only way to fix him is with a punch to th-" she was stopped by Ichigo knocking her to the floor and pinning her with his foot on her chest.

"Well, so, what do you think of her?" Ichigo asks as Tatsuki struggles to move his foot.

"I…uh…she seems violent?" He says as he watches her struggle under Ichigo.

"Yeah, great isn't it? So you'll pick her up tomorrow at eight, I'll send her address to you." Ichigo smirks at him and then looks down at Tatsuki. "And you, wear a dress, I set something up for you two."

"Wh…wait what are you trying to do here?" Tatsuki asks as Ichigo lets her off the ground. "And I don't own a dress!"

"Yes you do, go home, try it on, it should fit." Ichigo helps her up and turns to Kaien. "And I got you a suit, tomorrow at eight, then once you get her, bring her to Gotei 13, from there I'll take you to your date." Ichigo started walking away.

"Okay, see you tomorrow at eight." Kaien said as he followed Ichigo leaving Tatsuki blushing and confused.

…

Two A.M. Ichigo is standing out front of Momo's house, just out of view from her window. He's looking around for the man who needs a sword stolen.

"You him? Five, thirteen, ten?" A man approaches, slicked back black hair, blue jeans and a black leather jacket.

"A sword? Really? Who do you need it from?" Ichigo asked without looking at him.

"This house, my step brother lived here, and he had an old sword that my dad left him instead of me, he's dead and I can't just ask his wife…she hates me. And that's why I looked for a smuggler. You're the best in this…group? Whatever it's called…so can you get it." Ichigo was debating whether to go through with it and get his huge pay, or to refuse. He was being asked to break into Momo's house and steal her father's sword. But this guy was right, he was the best, he's been in and out of houses without anyone knowing a thing. But this was different. He looked up at the man after staring at her house for a minute.

"Go screw yourself, if your father gave his sword to your brother, there is a reason, and I think I can see why. You want me to steal a dead man's sword. You're not a good person. I suggest you go tell that old candy shop owner that I'm not helping you." The man scoffed at Ichigo and started walking away, Ichigo turned back to Momo's house but what he saw shocked him. Momo was standing in front of the gate to her house, looking up at him, she was wearing pink silk pajamas.

"Ichigo…what was all that about?" She looked up at him, fearfully, she heard everything that was said, he didn't see her because she was on the other side of the house that he couldn't see.

"Momo…I…I'm so sorry, I…I'm something of a thief, but I have standards, I wont steal from those who can't spare it. this guy asked something that I wouldn't ever go through with, I would never do anything to you or your family…can you forgive me?" He was on his knees looking up at her. she was standing there with her arms crossed.

"I…wh…What am I supposed to do…do I…Who was that man…why did he say his brother lived her?"

"Momo, that was your father's step brother apparently and he wanted the sword that your father's step father gave him."

"I…heard about him from my mom…and…Ichigo…why are you doing this…? Why do you steal things?"

"I don't steal things that would hurt the victim, the last things I've stolen were only from the rich. Momo…I'll stop. I will stop for you. I promise I will never break the law again, you can ask nearly everyone I know, I keep my promises…especially to the girl I love." He looked away from her at the ground. "If you say you won't forgive me, I'll go to the police and turn myself in." He was about to stand up but Momo surprised him by getting down on her knees and putting her arms around him. "Momo…"

"Ichigo…I love you. But you're pretty stupid some times. I forgive you…but…can you maybe go home? It looks like it's about to rain. And I don't want either of us to get sick, I forgive you, and I'll pretend this never happened." Momo stood up and put her hands on the top of his head, messing with his hair. "But…when you say perverted…candy…shop…Is that candy store a front for a smuggling operation!?"

"Well…he was a candy store before that. But yeah, don't ask him about it, he'll just shoot down the question. " Ichigo stood up and bent over to kiss her quickly on the lips. She blushes from the sudden action and he starts walking away. "I'll take you somewhere nice tomorrow, be ready at seven thirty, wear a dress."

'Wh…I…he's like a fortune cookie…I can never understand him clearly.' Momo thought to herself as rain started pouring and she ran back in to her house, but on the run back she slipped and slammed her head on the step up to the door. Blood washing down the little path from the door to the street from the rain. She wasn't moving.


	4. Disaster

**AN: Hey hey, so I forgot I finished this chapter, and didn't publish it, I already finished writing chapter five, so you get two chapters today! Hurrah...without any more stalling for time, here's chapter four.**

* * *

Ichigo was walking away when he heard a thud in the distance, he dismissed the thought and kept walking, then his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"My house now, you're taking me to dinner. You didn't earlier." It was Rangiku.

"What the hell Rangiku, it's nearly two thirty!"

"Yeah, and you didn't buy me dinner earlier. So if you aren't here within five minutes, I…you're outside!?" Rangiku was looking out her window when she noticed Ichigo staring up at her in the rain.

"I'm waiting, you have thirty seconds, or I'm leaving." Ichigo hangs up and walks to the door, opening it and going inside. Toshiro wasn't there because he had to go visit someone from his family. Rangiku ran down the stairs in just her underwear. "Okay, I like it, but I'm leaving." Ichigo started to turn away and walk to the door.

"No! wait, I'm getting clothes, I forgot to bring my clothes up!" Rangiku shouted from the kitchen. She came back out in a wet black tank top and a red skirt that went a little above the knees.

"That's not much better. Plus it's wet." Ichigo glanced at her for a second and then looked away.

"Well, either this or I'll make you go with me while I'm wearing nothing." Ichigo was tempted, but decided to let her wear that.

"Whatever, but seriously, we have school tomorrow. Why do we have to do this so late?"

"Actually, I already ate dinner, but I really need to talk to you, please, this is important." She looked at him with a pleading stare, he couldn't say no to her, he was too good a person.

"Fine. Let's go."

…

"What should I do? I…he…you know what he told me he would do if I didn't…? He said he would…hurt me...I can only imagine what he would do…" Ichigo and Rangiku were sitting in a park in the rain, she didn't want to stay home and talk.

"Really…he said that huh? Why do you keep getting back together with him?"

Gin told Rangiku earlier that if they didn't get back together he would come over and beat her. Ichigo was the only one she could talk to, he was the only one who knew how abusive Gin could get.

"I love him Ichigo…I know I shouldn't. But I do…I'm still so young…but I gave him my heart, and I don't want it back. I can't be happy without him…but I can't be happy with him. What do I do?" She turned to him, he couldn't see the tears because it was raining.

"Rangiku, I'll help you, but you need to promise me you won't hate me for this? Okay?" Ichigo smiled at her after thinking for a minute.

"W-What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry, now go home and get dried off and sleep, I'll deal with him tomorrow."

…

"Hey, Isane! Momo is gone!" Her mother shouted as she went to check on Momo in the morning. She ran down the hall to her sister's room. "Isane! Did you hear me? Momo's missing!"

"What!? I saw her just last night!" Isane ran out of her room in to the hall.

"Ah, what happened to her…" Her mother looked worried as she went down stairs, then she thought of something. She'll call Ichigo, he seemed reliable from what she saw.

"Hello? Is this Ichigo Kurosaki?" She asked as the person on the line picked up.

"Yes? you're Retsu…Is everything okay?"

"Momo has gone missing!" Ichigo dropped his phone when he heard her, he picked it up again.

"Stay there! I'll be there in a minute!"

…

Ichigo was at Rangiku's house, passing it, he was sprinting to Momo's house. When he got there he noticed a little trail of red going out in the street. Dried blood that washed down in the rain.

"Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit!" He saw her lying there unconscious on the doorstep. He ran over and picked her up, supporting her neck, he looked at the spot where she hit, it looked like it was pretty bad.

'Was that the thud I heard last night!?' Ichigo horridly thought as he held her. He started kicking at the door since his hands were full. Her mother opened the door.

"Oh my god! Momo!" her mother tried to take her from Ichigo but he wouldn't let her go.

"No, call an ambulance. NOW!" Ichigo commanded and she scrambled back inside and called for one. Within ten minutes an ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital Ichigo rode in the back since he refused to leave her side.

"Sir, can you explain what happened to me? I need to report it so that we can know what to look for."

"I was out for a walk late, late last night, and I passed her house…she's my girlfriend…and I don't know what she was doing awake, I was out because my friend needed to ask me something important…I thought I heard the sound of something falling after leaving her house…I never thought it would be her and…"

"Slow down, what time did you hear that noise, when you were at her house, or your friend's house?"

"I…around two or three A.M…"

"This is bad, she's lost a lot of blood and will prob-"

"I don't care what needs to be done to make her better, I'll pay for everything."

"I understand." The man turned away from Ichigo and back to Momo. He didn't say anything for a second. "Young lady, you have a nice man here for you, don't go and die now, I'm sure he'll be sad."

…

"Hey, where's Ichigo?" Rangiku asked Rukia and Apacci.

"Don't know, he left before us, he seemed to be in a hurry." Apacci explained.

"Come to think of it, where's Momo?" Rukia asked. "Don't you two live a minute or something from each other?"

"Yeah, her mother said she was sick when I went over to talk to her. She said it was bad, so she didn't let me in." Ichigo told Momo's mother not to tell anyone that she was hurt, it would cause unnecessary problems.

"Oh, maybe we'll go visit her later…I wonder where he went."

…

Momo needed stitching, she has a fractured skull and possible memory loss, and might not wake up for a while. She's getting stitches right now. Ichigo is being forced to wait in the lobby because he looked to be trouble.

"Sir, her stitches are finished, but you should go to school. We're not certain that she will wake up any time soon. And I was told you will be handling expenses. Here." The doctor hands him a sheet of paper. Ichigo looked at the bottom, nodded and folded it up, putting it in his pocket.

"Show me to her room." Ichigo said as he stood up.

"Sir, I…"

"You think I don't know that you see me as some criminal because the way I look? If so call the police, I don't care, I'm going to see her, now show me to her room." Ichigo looked the man dead in the eyes.

"Yes, sir…room 284, right this way. Nurse, call the police." The doctor told the nurse as he led Ichigo to the room.

…

"Oh, it's you again Kurosaki?" The officer said as he walked up.

"Oh, hey Komamura." Ichigo waved to the large built officer who entered the room with the doctor.

"The usual?" The large cop asked with a sigh.

"The usual." Ichigo nodded.

"This the girl I've heard about? She's cute. Well, I have more important things to do than chit chat. See you on Sunday." The man started walking away leaving the doctor shocked and confused.

"Yeah, say hello to Sui-Feng for me." Ichigo said as the cop left the room. Sui-Feng is his adopted daughter from China.

"Will do." Komamura left.

"Now…can I please be alone with my girlfriend?" He asked the doctor, who just nodded and slowly shut the door. Ichigo stood up and locked it. His phone rang.

"Hello~"

"Eh…what now Urahara." Ichigo asked.

"Well, Tessai told me that you refused to help his client. I can assume that it was for personal reasons?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to help him out anymore." Ichigo sighed as he sat down. "And what the hell was up with him forcing those designation codes? Nobody else calls from my number.

"You know, he's not going to be pleased, you were quite the robin hood. And I guess he was bored."

Shut up you old idiot. I'm not in the mood, my girlfriend is in the hospital."

"Ah, well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I think you'll be stopping these activities? No?" Urahara was actually a genius, he could tell anything about a person just by talking with them.

"Not anymore, I promised Momo I would stop anything illegal." Ichigo spoke while looking at the unconscious girl.

"I had a feeling, but you'll be glad to know that since you are my valued customer, I'll keep funding you."

Ichigo was a bit surprised by this.

"Wh…what do you mean? Why?"

"Because I owe your father a huge favor, and helping you is how I'm making up the favor. Don't worry, I'm actually quite wealthy." Urahara sounds very smug on the other line.

"But…if that's so, why do you run that shop?"

"I like my shop, and so does the Hinamori family." Ichigo was about to ask a question about that but there was a knock at the door.

"I'll talk with you later, I need to go." Ichigo stood up and opened the door, it was Momo's mother. They were at the hospital she worked at.

"Ichigo? Shouldn't you be at school?" She asked as she pushed past him to her daughter. Ichigo just looked at her confused.

"You're a doctor?"

"Yes, now answer my question…"

"I'm not leaving her."

"Ichigo. Go to school."

"No." He sat down in the chair he was in before.

"You really should."

"What I really should do is stay by my loved one in her time of need. I promised I would protect her and she got hurt…even if I had nothing to do with it…still."

"Love? Aren't you a bit young to say love?"

"Isn't it unprofessional to make small talk when you should be examining your patient?" She paused for a moment and looked down at Momo lying there with a bandage around her head. Letting the sound of her breathing soak in. Ichigo loves Momo, she could tell. She turned back at him for him to start speaking, but she cut him off.

"I understand." She smiles at him and starts writing something down on her clip board.

"What was he like? Your husband?" Ichigo asked.

"Hmm? Did Momo tell you about him?"

"I already knew. His grave is next to my ex's…" Ichigo looked up at her with a small smile.

"Oh…I…what happened to her?"

"She was the girl who killed herself on her mothers grave, remember her?" Ichigo said softly.

"Oh, I heard that…I didn't think it was true…She was your…I'm so sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault. It was a horrible thing yes, but don't worry about it too much, the past is the past. I love Momo. Not her. Not anymore." Those last two words were the hardest thing for him to say in a long time.

"Well. I hope you two stay together for a long time, if she feels the same way about you. I am needed elsewhere, I just came to see if she woke up." She started to head to the door.

"Hey, Um…Do you think she will have any memory loss?" Ichigo didn't want her to forget everything they went through, none of it.

"I hope not. For your sake, I hope she remembers she likes you. I don't know when she'll wake up. But you should go, I'll make sure you are the first to know."

"Thanks but no thanks. I told you, I'm not leaving." Ichigo shook his head at her and she left.

…

"Dad, where did Ichigo head off to today? He wont answer his phone?" Rukia asks Isshin as she and Apacci get home from school.

"I don't know. Maybe I should call him." He pulls out his phone and starts dialing, once he starts the call, a few seconds later Ichigo picked up. "Where are you? You disappeared apparently?"

"Ah, sorry for not telling you, I'm at the hospital."

"The hospital? What happened? You okay?" He stood up and started looking for his keys.

"He's in the hospital!?" Rukia shouted.

"No, sorry not me. It's Momo."

"Oh, Momo is hurt? What happened to her?"

"Oh no…" Rukia stood up and ran out the door.

"I'll tell you when you get here…could you possibly bring me some food, I haven't eaten today yet."

"Ye-Yeah, we'll be there soon." He hung up on Ichigo.

'We…? I guess Rukia is coming too.' Ichigo thought to himself as he looked down at Momo. He was going to stay there unless forced out. He wouldn't leave her side. A few seconds after the phone call Retsu came in with a bottle of water and gave it to Ichigo.

"I just remembered I never answered your question about Datoru."

"Oh, no it's okay."

"I…I guess I'll tell you later, under better circumstances." She leaves him with the water and goes back to what she was doing.

"I didn't know she was a doctor. Probably scares the patients half to death." Ichigo mumbled to himself and his phone rang. Again. This time it was Rangiku.

"Ichigo! What the hell!?" She shouted, Ichigo flinched at her tone.

"What now Rangiku?" Ichigo sighed.

"You sent Gin to the hospital again! This time with a gunshot!"

"Ah…that has nothing to do with me, I was just going to kick the shit out of him, if he was shot, it wasn't me. Anyway, if he's at this hospital I'll go talk to him for you."

"Wait…you're at the hospital!? Why!?"

"Stop yelling. And M…No reason, just here."

"No, I know you, there is a good reason you would be at a hospital. I'm coming."

"No-" She hung up. "Crap." Ichigo didn't want that many people to know that Momo got hurt the night he was out. Things would be bad if someone said they saw him at her house that night.

'Ah what the hell, she's her best friend, I shouldn't keep them apart.' Ichigo thought as he stared at his phone and then to Momo. She moved a little. Ichigo sat up and his eyes widened as her's twitched, then stopped. After a few more minutes she didn't move again Ichigo sighed and slouched over. He moved the chair closer and took her hand in his.

"It's okay…I'll protect you." He whispered even though she couldn't hear him. "I'll never let you get hurt again." Ichigo squeezed her hand a bit tighter before letting go to drink some water. As he was drinking the door opened to reveal Rukia and his father.

"What happened to her?"

"Fractured skull." Ichigo replied to his dad as he took the bag of food he brought. "Thanks, I'm starving." Ichigo immediately started eating.

"How did she hurt herself this badly?" Rukia asked, Ichigo finished chewing and responded.

"I…Don't know, her mother called me saying she didn't know where she was and then I found her unconscious on her doorstep." Ichigo left out the late night visit. Neither of them knew he left.

"Ah, that explains the fractured skull…oh, did you hear, that Gin Ichimaru, who goes to your school? He's down the hall, he got shot four times. Two in the left leg, one in the right arm and one in the stomach." His dad says as Rukia leaves the room with a saddened face.

'Definitely not what I would have done.' Ichigo thought to himself.

"He deserves it. Trust me." Ichigo said with a shrug.

"If you wish him pain, he must be bad, want me to…take care of it?" His dad asks with a whisper, he means have him killed.

"DAD! No! I refuse to solve my problems with that stupid organization!" Ichigo already told his dad that he hates the yakuza. They are nothing but criminals who kick their target while their down.

"Fine, fine. Well, I'm going to find your sister and get going, are you coming home any time soon?" He asked with his hand on the door.

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up." Ichigo said slowly, to make sure his father understood.

"You realize a fractured skull could have her out of it for weeks…right?"

"I don't give a damn. I'm not leaving her side." Ichigo didn't look at his dad when he spoke. Isshin sighed and put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"You'll make her a good husband. See you later, I'll bring some clothes and food after dinner." He left.

"There you are!" That voice, Ichigo immediately recognized as Rangiku, shouting from down the hall as she saw Ichigo's father leave the room. A few seconds later she runs in. "Why didn't you tell me that you are in the…hospi…tal…" She stopped shouting when she realized he wasn't in the bed and she saw who was.

"Be quiet Rangiku, she has a fractured skull." Ichigo stood up and let her sit there.

"Wha…how did this happen…why didn't you tell me about this?"

"At first I didn't want anyone to know, because there would be fingers pointed at me if anyone knew I was around her house at the time she fell, she slipped in the rain and bashed her head on the doorstep. Right before I came over to your place. But, I figured that people would blame me either way, so, tomorrow, can you tell everyone that she's hurt?" Ichigo explained as he stood next to her leaning against a wall.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Her mother said that she doesn't know the extent of the problem until she wakes up, which I heard could be a day, could be a month. Could be a year. There is a possibility that she won't remember even you. Or she'll remember everything, again, we won't know until she wakes up." Ichigo put a hand on Rangiku's shoulder.

"I'll tell our friends tomorrow…wait, why don't you? Aren't you going to school tomorrow?"

"I'm not leaving. You watch her, I need to make a call." Ichigo left Rangiku with Momo.

…

"This dress. I hate dresses…why did he do this to me?" Tatsuki mumbled to herself as she sat on her bed looking at the dress Ichigo got her for the date with Kaien. It was knee length purple with black lace around the top and bottom. Her phone rang and she reached for it. "I don't recognize this number…Hello?"

"Hey, Tatsuki, it's Ichigo. Remember, Gotei 13 8:30. Kaien will be there at eight to pick you up. Be ready." It was Ichigo using a payphone at the hospital.

"Ichigo, I don't recognize this number, new phone?"

"No, payphone. I wont meet you there, but someone else will and she will take you to the date. Okay?"

"Why cant you do it?"

"I'll explain tomorrow. Just have fun on your date. I called him, he said he'll be there." Ichigo hung up. Tatsuki thought he sounded a bit sad but didn't question him.

"I can never understand him." Tatsuki said with a sigh. She started to leave the room but her phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Tatsuki-chan! Hi!"

"Oh, hey Orihime, what's up?"

"Can you go to the movies tonight with me?"

"I can't Orihime, I have a date apparently. Ichigo set me up with one of his friends apparently."

"Oh, is that so…? Who?" Orihime sounded a bit disappointed, she wanted to hang out with Tatsuki.

"Some guy named Kaien Xiba. Looks exactly like Ichigo." Tatsuki sighed and left her room as she spoke.

"I don't know him…Oh well. Have fun…" Orihime hung up before Tatsuki could say goodbye.

"What's gotten in to her…? Oh well…it's nearly seven…I should start getting ready."

…

It was 8:06 and Kaien knocked on the door to Tatsuki's place, she came down and answered it.

"Hey, wow, you're pretty in that." Kaien said as he looked over Tatsuki. She blushed a little and smiled.

"Th-thank you. You look…good too. Let's go." She started walking out and then shut the door behind her. she looked up and noticed his car. It was a blue corvette.

'Is everyone that he knows rich?' She thought to herself.

"Shall we?" He motioned as he opened the passenger side door for her.

'Such a nice person…' She thought as she got in. The interior was a solid black with leather seats. He got in around the other side.

"So…have you and Ichigo known each other long?" He asked, trying to make small talk, they didn't really have anything to talk about, they go to different schools, and just met the day before.

"We've been friends since we both were young, although, he's always had these…body guards around him until a few years ago… I always thought he was the son of someone famous, but I guess not."

"And you found out he was a yakuza head's son."

"I blocked that out of my head until a day ago, I didn't like to believe it, but it's the truth, so I'll accept it."

"Block it out? Why do that…?" He asked, trying to sound sincere, he was hoping that she would like him.

"I don't like the yakuza. But he's the next head. So…whatever. What about you? How do you know him?"

"We met, believe it or not, in a police station."

"I don't need to know more, if it's in a police station, that explains so much." She laughed as he pulled up to Gotei 13. They got out of the car and started looking around.

"It's not 8:30 yet, what do you say about going in for a little?"

"No, I don't care if you're early, I'm doing that orange haired idiot a favor escorting you two, follow me." A voice from behind them called, it belonged to a tall tanned blonde woman, her accent was a bit thick but she spoke rather well for being an obvious foreigner.

"Ah, who are you?" Tatsuki asked curiously.

"Tier Harribel, I said follow me."

'She's a bit…bitchy?' Tatsuki thought as the two of them followed her.

…

'Ichigo…I know that I can't take her place…but what will get you away from Momo and to me…' Rukia thought as she sat crying on her bed. When she was in the hospital with a fractured skull a year ago from falling out of a tree, Ichigo only visited her for an hour or two a day, he's been with Momo since the morning, and right now it's about ten.

"Rukia-sama! Cheer up!" A few men from outside the door shouted.

"Get the hell out of here! Go to hell!" She shouted as she opened the door. Kicking one of them in the face. "Leave me the hell alone, or I'll kill you all!" she shouted and slammed the door. The group picked the one off the ground and scurried away. "Damn it! Why is there like twenty of them who live here with us!?" She shouted into a pillow. After lying there for a minute her phone rang. "Ichigo…" She looked at the name and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rukia? are you okay? Dad called me and said you were feeling pretty bad." Ichigo was worried about her, she was still his sister before anything else.

"N-No, I'm okay…Really."

"No you aren't. Rukia…you need to understand, I don't like you in the way you think I do. I never will, I love you as my sister, hell, I think of you as my real sister. Please stop hurting yourself over me."

"H-how…what are you talking about?" Rukia was trying to deny the truth to him; she wasn't going to admit it to him.

"Rukia, I've known you long enough, I know that you like me, I'm not stupid. But understand this, please, know we can never, ever be together in the way you want. You are my sister. Please, understand this, for me? I worry about you sometimes…like earlier, you saw me with Momo, and you stormed out, looking ready to cry, and I can hear it in your voice, you've been crying since you got home? Right?"

"Ichigo…I-I really like you…"

"Rukia…I jus-"

"I know, I just needed to actually tell you, I somewhat feel better now that I said it…please, don't make this a bigger deal than it is…I want to still be seen as a friend and your sister."

"I still will Rukia, how about you get dad to give you a ride and come down here and sit with me, it's pretty lonely at night here."

…

"We're sorry, visiting hours are over, you can come back tomorrow morning if you wish."

"Then can you call down my brother? He's probably the only one with orange hair."

"A-Ah, he's your brother…right this way please." It was the same doctor who called the police on Ichigo earlier, he was afraid of him, so he was going to show Rukia where he was. After a minute of walking he led her to Momo's room.

"Hey Ichigo…" Rukia said as she came in, he looked up and smiled at her.

"Hey, have a seat." Ichigo pointed to the chair next to him. And picked up the bags of food his dad brought, it was just a bunch of bags of chips and drinks.

"So…you're really not going to leave her are you?"

"I told her that I would stay with her forever. I'm not about to leave her now, what if she wakes up…and doesn't remember anything, I don't want her to be scared and alone…" Ichigo smiled as he took Momo's hand, it twitched a little making him jump slightly. She started to open her eyes. Just a little, she looked at Ichigo then shut them. "Rukia…press that button on the wall, there. It will call a doctor." Ichigo pointed to a button for visitors to push if there's a problem. Rukia jumped up and pushed it.

"Is she waking up?" She asked quickly.

"I don't know…Hey, Momo…Can you hear me?" Ichigo asked as he squeezed her hand. She squeezed it back. But didn't say anything or move her eye lids. A second later, Momo's mother came in.

"Ichigo, what happened."

"I think she's awake!" he shouted and squeezed her hand again, to show her Momo squeezing it back. Szhe moved her head again and opened her eyes.

"Amazing…she…shouldn't be awake…talk to her, don't let her go back to sleep!" Retsu shouted as she rushed out.

"Momo, can you tell me where you are?" Ichigo asked as she looked up at him confused.

"I…don't know…I remember waking up…and going outside…now…where am I? you're…Ichigo? That's right…Ichigo…"

'Good, she doesn't remember what happened last night. It's better that way.' He thought to himself as he smiled.

"Momo it's okay, you fell last night and really hurt yourself, you're in a hospital right now, me and Rukia are here for you." Momo looked over and saw Rukia standing there, looking amazed that she woke up so soon.

"My mom…she works…at this hospital…where is she…?" Momo said slowly and then winced, the pain starting to flow into her.

"She ran out, I think she's getting someone." Rukia spoke up. A second later, she ran into the room with another doctor and a tray of needles and vials.

"Mom…" Momo started to talk.

"No, don't speak yet, Momo, let me reduce the pain a bit…" she took a syringe off the tray that was filled with some clear liquid, she injected it a little above the stitches. "Okay…better? Oh, You must be in pain…"

"No…that helped…thank you…how…did I fall?"

"We don't know, you were outside when Ichigo found you." Her mother explained as she prepared an empty syringe. She stuck it into Momo's arm to draw blood, standard procedure. Nothing really to worry about, but they still needed a blood sample. She put a bandage over it once she was done.

"You…thank you…Ichigo…" Momo turned to him and smiled a little before closing her eyes.

"Hey, Momo…" Ichigo said but no response. "Is she okay?"

"This Isn't good…" Her mother said as she looked at one of the monitors. She turned to Ichigo with a worried look. "She's having a bad reaction to that sedative…I'll be right back, if anything happens…if she makes a sudden move, you press that button on the wall and hold her head still."

…

"That was…fun, I'm glad he introduced us." Tatsuki said as she got out of his car in front of her house. He got out and walked her to the door. "Although, it was a bit fancy, and a little embarrassing to have them treat us special like that…I…would like to do this again sometime, you know, not this exactly, but…oh, you know what I'm saying, don't you?"

"I get it, and yes, I do. I'm glad we met too. So, I'll call you?" Kaien asked with a smile.

"Y-Yes!" Tatsuki shouted as she stepped forward slightly.

"Well, I have to get home now, I'm sure my dad will kill me if I'm home too late again, well, I'll call you tomorrow. Bye." He leaned over and kissed her cheek and ran back to his car. Tatsuki didn't register what happened until he drove away. Flustered, she walked inside and started jumping up and down.

"Oh my god! He's so…AH!"

"Someone's happy." A voice called from a dark room.

"Th…who the hell…you…why the fuck are you in my house!?"

…

"Shit…Shit…Shit…" Ichigo kept repeating as Momo convulsed, He was keeping her head still with hands on the sides of her head, Rukia just pressed the button. A minute or two later, her mother ran in with a different syringe, the liquid inside was pale green. A second goes by and Momo stops moving and the monitors and machines return to normal but slowed readings.

"I didn't know she would have such a bad reaction…oh, and I just saw that Gin Ichimaru, he's awake, I think you should go see him." She said as she sighed out of relief. Ichigo just nodded. He walked out and down the hall to where his room was. Without saying anything, he walked in and stared at him.

"Oh, if it isn't Ichigo Kurosaki…what do I owe this visit to?"

"You threatened to beat Rangiku?" Ichigo asked with a stoic look.

"Ah, lighten up, it was a joke." He said with a foxlike grin, Ichigo saw the bandages around where he was shot in the leg, he walked up to him and delivered a huge punch to the bullet wound, Gin just started screaming violently out of the pain he just felt. A few nurses ran in after Ichigo walked out.

"Asshole." Ichigo mumbled to himself as he angrily walked away. A nurse ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Sir, come with me for a minute, can you explain to the doctor why you did what you did?" When Ichigo turned around he saw a young looking woman with an angry looking doctor behind her.

"Call the police if you want, I'm not apologizing." Ichigo broke free from her and walked back to Momo's room. A second later Ichigo saw a bed being wheeled by with a girl in it, he stopped when he thought he recognized her, he followed it and saw the room it went in to, when all the people who brought it in left, he walked up to it. Tatsuki. She had bruises all over her face and arms, her dress was torn and she had a stab wound on her stomach. Momo's mother rushed in a second later, she was told there was a stab victim.

"Ichigo? Do you know her…?" She asked when she noticed Ichigo slumped in the corner of the room, hands on his knees.

"My best friend…Tatsuki Arisawa…wh-what happened to her?" he asked, not looking up.

"I was told that she was stabbed, but looks like she was beaten by multiple people…look, this wound has been cleaned, yet nothing else has, whoever did this doesn't want to get noticed. Make it look like an accident, these bruises were probably from someone else."

'Kaien couldn't have done this…right?' Ichigo thought to himself as she kept explaining, she started to clean the wound again to be sure.

...

"Kaien, did you drop Tatsuki off at home?" Ichigo asked over the phone.

"Yeah, I dropped her off, walked her to the door, and then left. Why?"

"She's in the hospital, stab wound and bruises everywhere and she's unconscious."

"Shit. How!? I'll be there in a minute."

…

"I Don't give a damn, let me go!" Ichigo heard shouting from down the hall, he recognized it as Kaien's voice. He got up and went out the door, he was in Momo's room.

"Hey! Lead him to Tatsuki Arisawa's room. Or, I'll come out and make you do it." Ichigo shouted at the two security guards holding Kaien's arms. The policeman that came earlier was Komamura again. He told the staff to leave Ichigo and his friends alone. The security didn't have authority over an actual cop.

"Ichigo! Is that the room?" He shouted as he walked over and past Ichigo to see a different girl.

"No, this is my girlfriend, Momo. Her mother will take you to Tatsuki." Ichigo looked up at Retsu and she nodded.

"Follow me Xiba-kun, She's over here." She and him left the room. Ichigo turned ot look at the clock. 1:13.

"This is a fucking disaster…"


	5. Hospital and a shower

**AN: Chapter Five is a long one, compared tot he others. And wihtout more of my stalling that you love so much, enjoy!**

* * *

Ichigo has missed the past six days of school to stay with Momo, he had classmates bring him notes, his dad came by with food and a change of clothes every night. Rangiku and Isane would frequently visit also Rukia would too. Kaien would come by, for Tatsuki, sometimes Ichigo went to see her, she had two broken ribs along with the stab wound, three broken teeth and a minor concussion, blunt trauma to the top of the skull caused by what they think is a baseball bat. Momo hadn't woken up since her seizure from the bad reaction. Occasionally he would see Sosuke in the halls near Gin's room, he would always be smiling with a little smile like he knew everything that was happening to everyone. He would come by Momo's room to visit her some times, but Ichigo refused to let him in the room.

"Here, you should eat something." Renji said as he walked in with a bag of food.

"Oh, hey Renji. Oh, looks like you are here for your own reasons?" Ichigo asked because he noticed the cast on Renji's left arm.

"Heh, yeah, some guy broke into my house and attacked me, I don't really remember anything but that, and I woke up here yesterday with a cast on my arm. Your sister brought me this food, she said some of it was for you." He explained as he sat down next to him and looked at Momo.

"Thanks, do you think it was the same person who attacked Tatsuki?"

"Don't know, didn't see any features of the guy, I just know he was maybe the same height as you, maybe taller?" There weren't many people in japan taller than Ichigo, not native at least. He had a suspicion that he knew who it was, but dismissed it, theres no way he would be able to take Renji in a fight, nor Tatsuki, she would kill him before he knew the fight started. He thought it might have been Sosuke but thought otherwise.

"Have the police questioned you yet? They were in Tatsuki's room yesterday, but she only managed to stay awake for a few minutes." Ichigo was there with her and all she managed to tell them was that there were three of them.

"Yeah, I told you the same thing I told them. It was late, my boss asked me to work the graveyard shift, so it was like four in the morning when I got home."

"That's right, you're security at the cemetery. I think it's odd to work in a graveyard on a graveyard shift. Don't you think?" Ichigo asked as he took a bite of the food he brought.

"Yeah, it is, so has she made any signs of waking up? How long do you plan on staying out of school?"

"If I have to explain it to someone again I'm going to snap. I'm staying by her side until she wakes. I want to be there for her. She moved a bit earlier, but other than that, no." Ichigo spoke as he took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"You really love her, don't you?" Renji asked as he watched this.

"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have missed a week of school, it's my fault she's hurt."

"You got that in your head still? She tripped over something man, it isn't your fault." Renji said with a sigh, Ichigo has been saying its his fault for a week.

"No, she wouldn't have stayed out in the rain for the ground to get slippery if I wasn't out side her house."

"Why were you there? Didn't she fall around midnight or something?"

"Around two or three. And I can't explain why I was there, Rangiku needed to talk to me about something I was near Momo's house and for some reason she was outside, we started talking, it started raining, a minute later I left, and after a while I thought I heard something but ignored it." Ichigo grasped her hand tighter, to his surprise she did the same, her eyes were moving and her eyelids opened slightly.

"Wh…Ichigo…?" She asked as she looked at her hand and followed the arm to it's owner.

"Hey Momo, how are you feeling?" he asked with a small smile.

"Like my head is a brick…what's happening…why am I here?"

"You don't remember anything?" He asked her, putting his other hand on hers. "Renji, press the button on the wall for me." Renji nods and goes to do that. A minute later her mother walked in.

"Mom…"

"Oh, Momo! I was so worried!" She says quickly as she hugs her, she pulls away to look at the monitors. "Good, brain activity…normal…slightly reduced…but normal. Heart rate…slowed…never mind. Normal. Ichigo, she should be good now, she shouldn't go under again."

"Momo, can you remember anything before this? What happened?" Renji asked as Ichigo put his head down on the bed next to her.

"Nothing…I do remember being out in the rain…and then nothing." Momo looked down to Ichigo and she started running her hand through his hair. He looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Momo…please…stay safe, I can't deal with you getting hurt like this again." Ichigo's eye was yellow but slowly turning from his usual color, to yellow, and back again.

"Ichigo…Oh my god…what is that smell?" Momo leaned closer to him but got the scent of something awful.

"It's Ichigo; he hasn't left for a week. I'm not sure he showered, but he changed his clothes every night." Retsu explained as she walked around the bed and picked up something she dropped on her way in.

"You…stayed here…with me for a week…why?"

"Momo, I love you, you are the most important thing to me right now. Nothing matters except that you are okay? I sat here and had the police called on me twice, I refused to leave you."

"Ichigo…I love you too, but…" When she said but, she looked away from him and at the ceiling. Ichigo felt his heart skip a beat.

"B-But what?" Ichigo asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"Go take a shower…please." She smiled when she said that. He dropped his head on her bed.

"I will, I'll be back later…Retsu, or Renji, one of you, keep Sosuke out of this room." Ichigo stood up and walked out while taking his phone out.

"He…is here too?"

"Yeah, so is Gin and Tatsuki, Gin and Tatsuki however are patients."

…

"Hello?" Ichigo answered his phone as he got dressed after the shower, he had called his dad to take him home.

"Yo! Ichigo-chan, where the hell have you and the new girl been!?"

"OH…Kukaku, I'm sorry, I completely forgot to call you, she fell and has a fractured skull, I was staying at the hospital with her until she woke up."

"Fractured skull!? Is she okay!? I have a fractured skull that never healed, that's why I have bandages around my head all the time, keeps pressure on it." She shouted over the phone, obviously she wasn't a quiet woman as Ichigo quickly found out when he met her years ago.

"Really? I thought something was off in your head, never guessed it was the skull."

"HEY! Don't smartass me! I can easily fire you!"

"But you won't. And if you were going to you would have a long time ago, with me always being late and not calling when I won't be in for a week." Ichigo said matter-of-factly as he put on pants.

"Whatever, I'm also calling to tell you that Nel-chan was attacked and is being rushed to the hospital, if you're there, go find her for me and check on her." Ichigo nearly dropped his phone.

"What!? What happened? How…how do you know she was attacked?"

"She called me after calling an ambulance, she thinks she has a broken arm, and is having trouble breathing. I'm really busy right now, otherwise I would go, so can you check on her?"

'What the fuck is going on…why are so many…why are my friends being attacked?' Ichigo thought to himself, he just realized that the victims of these attacks were people he was friends with. 'Gin isn't my friend…is it really just random or…No…' He and Gin used to be friends.

"Kukaku, listen closely, I think someone is attacking people I know, there have been three other attacks, so be careful okay?"

"I…uh, okay. I guess I can do that. What are…You little shit! Hanging up on me now!?" She shouted once she realized he hung up when he finished speaking.

…

"Hey, can you tell me where Nelliel…damn I cant remember her last name…light green hair…childish look…broken arm?" He was asking the woman at the front desk where her room was.

"I just saw her a minute ago being wheeled into surgery, she needs to have an operation to set her arm back, she won't be allowed visitors until that is done, would you like me to notify you when she is put in a room?" Ichigo didn't answer he just ran back to Momo's room. The door was shut, he opened it and nobody was in there. Nobody except Momo, and an unexpected visitor. Ginjo.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he walked in. Ginjo just turned to him and scoffed. Ichigo walked up and noticed Momo was unconscious again. "What did you do to her!?" Ichigo spun him around and grabbed him by the jacket.

"She looked to be in pain…so I helped her sleep with a little sedative…" He said with a smug smirk.

"Sedative…what the hell do you want?!"

"You didn't help me, it was simple, now you're going to pay for it, it's that simple." He managed to get free from Ichigo and pin him to a wall with an arm behind his back. He just leaned in and whispered. "Worse is yet to come." Ichigo was struggling until he felt a needle enter the back of his neck under his collar. Everything went numb, and he fell to the ground. Ginjo threw the needle away and started walking away, while Ichigo couldn't move or speak, he saw Momo start convulsing again. Ichigo faded out.

…

"Jushiro, wasn't it this way? The woman said it was this way." Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake were visiting the hospital because so many of their students were hospitalized in such a short time from being attacked.

"I don't remember…maybe we should ask someone? Excuse me, miss! Oh, Unohana-san?"

"Ah, Jushiro-Kun and Shunsui-kun, what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?" She asked but didn't stop walking by with a tray that had food, pills and a syringe. The two of them followed her.

"Oh are you still made about the pole thing? That was so long ago…" Shunsui said with an annoyed tone. "We're here to visit our students that were hospitalized. Gin Ichimaru, Tatsuki Arisawa, and your daughter."

"You're forgetting Renji Abarai." She added. "He was admitted recently, so I would imagine you haven't heard, if you want to visit my daughter, follow me, I'm taking this to her." She went around a corner and they followed her into a room. But when she got in the room, she dropped the tray, Momo was laying on the bed, spread out, her eyes open, looking at nothing, some white foam like substance dripping from the side of her mouth, and the occasional jolt of movement. She put her hands up to her mouth, then she noticed Ichigo in the corner. Unconscious, the same foam coming out of his mouth. Nobody knew Ichigo was allergic to Morphine because he never needed it. Shunsui and Jushiro walked up a second later and gasped at the sight, Retsu ran over to Momo and began examining her eyes to see if she could get a response. Jushiro and Shunsui both knelt over Ichigo.

"What happened? Did he…inject himself with something?" Jushiro asked.

"No, there's no syringe anywhere...no, wait, there's one here…in the trash…"

"Shunsui-kun, look for an injection site. I found the one on Momo, find one on him." She was looking at Momo's neck, on the side there is a small injection site with a little bit of blood.

"Found it. Back of the neck. Do…you want me to get someone? Police?" He asked her, she just stood up and walked to the button on the wall, and pressed it down for ten seconds. A few seconds later, a nurse ran in with a tray of syringes. Half of them were for people allergic to Morphine and the other half were to counteract the sedative's effectiveness. She took two of each and the nurse left.

"Here, inject him with the white one first, then the green."

…

"Hey, Ichigo-kun, wake up." Shunsui said as he slapped his face a bit. Ichigo's eyes shot open and he launched a punch at his face, knocking him to the ground, Jushiro was sitting there just shocked and confused.

"You bast…Ah…what? Principal Kyoraku? Vice-Principal Ukitake?" Ichigo asked with a dumb looking face his hand still in a fist. He looked down and noticed Shunsui on the ground rubbing his face. "Ah shit! I'm sorry! Wait…where did he go!?" Ichigo shouted as he stood up, but his legs gave out and he fell back down.

"Calm down Ichigo, the effects are not yet all gone." Retsu said as she came back with another tray of food, and set it on Momo's bed. She woke her up by moving her shoulder. She fell asleep waiting for Ichigo to wake up. He had been unconscious for a few hours after she woke up. "Momo, eat this."

"Thank you. Ichigo…who was he?" She asked, remembering some man before she blacked out.

"Don't worry about it, Retsu, did you see some guy with slicked black hair and a leather jacket earlier?"

"Yes, He left a few hours ago though…oh, and I was told to tell you that your friend Nelliel-san is awake and you can go see her, she's in the room next door." Ichigo tried to stand but couldn't yet.

"I'll go when I have feeling in my legs."

…

"Oh, Ichigo!" Nel happily said when she noticed him walk in to her room, it was being shared with some girl with many machines attached to her.

"Hey Nel, do you know what happened?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.

"I was attacked in my house, and…I guess because I pretended to be unconscious they left. There was a tall man with an eye patch…a woman…dark skin…brown hair…and there was one more man, I didn't see his face because he kept it behind a book. He looked like the leader, he told them to do things and they did." She explained with a smile. She was wheezing a bit. Ichigo felt sorry for her, nothing made sense to him, Ginjo looked to be behind it from what Ichigo saw, but why go to such lengths just because he didn't steal a sword.

"I…haven't heard about that…did you tell the police that?"

"Yes, they were in here earlier." She closed her eyes for a second, opened them and turned to look out the window. "It's a shame people are wasted like that."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asks her, puzzled by her words.

"Well, if they have a problem with me, they could have talked to me to work it out violence is usually never the answer and when it is, you missed another option."

"Well, I should agree with you, but something like this, the only response is violence, I live by an eye for an eye. And if my violence isn't working, the option you talked about, is use more of it." He stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "I hope you get better soon, I'll be in the room next door if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you Ichigo." She smiled as he walked out of the room. He turned and looked to Momo's room and he saw someone go in, he didn't see who, he just saw the leg. He followed slowly and when he looked in, he sighed out of relief. Toshiro was visiting. Ichigo walked in behind him.

"Yo, Toshiro."

"Kurosaki, stop calling me that." He demanded, annoyed. He turned back to Momo to see her smiling. "Momo, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay Shiro-chan." When she called him that it annoyed him to no end.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that! Bed-Wetter Momo!" When he said that her face lit up bright red and Ichigo poorly hid a laugh.

"No! Stop calling me that! Ichigo don't laugh! So embarrassing!" If she could run and hide, she would. Ichigo tried to keep it in longer but couldn't, he burst out laughing clutching his sides. He never heard him call her that.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry Momo!" Ichigo managed to say as he straightened out. "I don't care about that. It's from the past. It is from the past…right?" He asked, a bit worried.

"She will always be Bed-Wetter Momo!"

"Both of you shut up!"

"Good to see that you're fine, Momo." Toshiro said with a soft smile.

"Gee, that would have been better to say earlier. And Ichigo…It's from way before we even met."

"Do either of you want something, I'm going to get something to eat." Ichigo asked, halfway out the door.

"I'm fine. Thank you anyway." Toshiro said as he sat down.

"I want some…Lemonade, can you bring me some?" Momo asked with a hopeful smile, Ichigo smiled back.

"Yeah, I'll be back in like ten minutes."

…

"Alright, I need to head out, if I'm late to work again I'll be fired." Toshiro said as he stood up. He turned from Momo to Ichigo. "Kurosaki, thank you for being there for her." And he didn't wait for a response, he left. As he left, someone else poked their head in.

"Hello~!"

"Why are you here…?" Momo asked with a groan. She didn't exactly like him.

"I called him." Ichigo said from his spot next to Momo.

"Yes, yes, he told me to bring you some candy and he had another reason he wouldn't tell me." He faked a frown as he walked in with a bag in his hand and a cane in the other.

"Urahara, what do you know about Ginjo?"

"Ah, that guy…I know a lot of things about a lot of people Ichigo, anything specific? Here you go." He asked then handed the bag to Momo.

"Thank you!" Momo said happily as she opened the bag.

"Is he in a gang? Or something like that?"

"Oh, well, yes, he's the leader of a street gang called Fullbringers, I'm not too sure on the name's origin, but it's a weird one…Oh, you might want to know this little bit of info. Your little buddy, Aizen-san, he's been talking with them about something recently."

"Oh really?" Ichigo says, he had a feeling Aizen was up to something, but he just couldn't figure out what.

'Is he really getting a street gang to hurt my friends to get to me? But…no, doesn't make sense, he was here, a few times, he could have done something then…but he didn't, what is he planning?' Ichigo thought to himself as he stood up and walked out the door.

"Where are you going? Don't leave me with this pervert!" Momo shouted at Ichigo who just turned back slightly.

"Don't worry, he'll be behaved. Urahara, watch her for me, I need to see something."

…

"So, can you follow him for me? I don't ask favors like this that often, do you think you can do it?"

"Yeah, I can do that. Do you want him dead? Or would you rather me give you his home address and a list of places he visits?"

"Don't kill him, just tell me what he's doing all day, locations, people. stuff like that, got it?" Ichigo explained for a second time to the woman on the other line.

"Yes, I got it. How am I going to be rewarded for this strange task?"

"I'll buy you a dog or something I don't know, just do it." Ichigo just hung up without hearing her response, he started walking away from the payphone to go see Tatsuki. He heard she might be released tomorrow. When he got there Kaien was leaving.

"Hey Ichigo. I'm heading to work, I'll talk later."

"Right, see ya." Ichigo waved and walked in, he found Tatsuki staring up at the ceiling with a small smile.

"Oh hey Ichigo…How's Momo? And Renji?" She turned to him and asked.

"Renji was released, the only problem he had was a broken arm, Momo's fine, but she wont be released for a few more days, they want to do some psychological tests to see if she's fine."

"That's good. Did Rangiku go visit Momo? I saw her a few minutes ago." Ichigo didn't even see her. he would have if she was visiting Momo, the payphone is across the hall.

"No…? She's here?" Ichigo asked with a worried look.

'Ah crap…she's probably visiting Gin…' Ichigo thought with a sigh.

"It might not have been her then…I don't know." Tatsuki said as she tried to sit up more.

"So, now you know what it feels like to be on the other end of the blade, huh?"

"I guess you could say it isn't a pleasant feeling." Tatsuki chuckled as she put her hand over the wound.

"Yeah well it isn't something you g-"

"Ichigo, there is a slight problem." It was Urahara in the door. He motioned for Ichigo to follow him.

"Tatsuki, I'll talk with you later. What is it?" Ichigo asked as he followed. They came around a corner and saw a group of nurses and Momo's mother standing in the center of them.

"Well, you see, there's a bit of a…hostage situation." He said quietly.

"I thought I told you to stay with her…?" Ichigo asked him with a look of annoyance and tiredness.

"I needed to use the restroom, and when I returned, this." At his words Ichigo moved to the front of the crowd looking in to Momo's room. It was Sosuke, he had her out of the bed and his arm around her waist, in the other hand was a knife pressed to her neck. Ichigo looked to the side of the room and the woman he wanted to follow him was handcuffed to the bed and unconscious.

"Ah, look who finally graced us with his presence Momo-chan." He spoke softly in to her ear and she flinched away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Ichigo shouted as he took a step forward. Sosuke pressed the knife closer to her neck.

"Ah, no closer, I know you can beat me in a fight, and that is exactly why I'm not fighting you. She is." He looked past Ichigo to a girl in the crowd. Orihime.

"Inoue…"

"K-kurosaki-kun…I'm…so…I'm so sorry!" She pulled a knife out of her jacket and held it in front of her as she cried.

"Inoue!? Why are you doing this? Just give me the knife…and leave." He slowly took a step forward to her, and when his hand was near the knife she screamed and cut his palm.

"NO!" She shouted and held the knife in front of her as Ichigo backed up a bit. "He…they said they would kill all my friends if I didn't do it…If I didn't hurt you…"

'I could easily knock her out…but I can't do that…I can't hurt her…! I could get the knife…but if I attack him…he'll just kill her? what the hell is he trying to do?' Ichigo thought as he looked from the knife to his cut open hand.

"If you don't do something, I'll just kill my Momo-chan." Sosuke said with a sadistic tone. Ichigo slowly turned around.

"She doesn't belong to anyone." Ichigo said quickly. Aizen just whispered in to Momo's ear.

"Tell him that you two are breaking up and you love me and will be with me from now on. Do it."

"I…can't I won't do it!" Momo shouted but she flinched when the knife drew a little blood.

"You can, you will and you will mean it." Sosuke told her as he wiped the knife on her cheek.

"You ba-" Ichigo was shouting but he felt the all too familiar feeling of steel entering flesh. Ad then the sound of the knife falling to the floor. "Inoue…" He turned to see her standing there horrified with her arm out but the knife missing. Ichigo glanced down at the knife and back up to her, then he looked to Retsu. He just looked in her eyes as if telling her to be ready. She nodded and Ichigo punched Orihime in the center of her chest, knocking all the air out of her and sending her back, into Retsu's arms. He turned back to Sosuke but stumbled a little. The knife hit in a weird place and the pain was getting to him.

"I-Ichi…Ichigo…we're breaking up! I love Aizen! And I'm going to be with him forever!" She shouted with Tears flowing down her cheeks. For Ichigo time stopped. He knew it wasn't true, but his mind and heart ignored that fact.

'Why…why does it hurt so much? I know it was fake…then why does it hurt so much?' Ichigo thought to himself as his eyes drifted downward. Sosuke started walking forward pushing Momo in front of him, time slowed as Momo walked past Ichigo. 'Should I kill him? That would make me no better than him…but…' Ichigo eyed the knife at his feet. He glanced back to see the two of them leaving the room, as silently as he could he picked up the knife. 'Can I kill him…? It will never end…if I don't.' He turned the knife around in his left hand and stood up, with his right hand he grabbed Aizen's arm that held the knife and puched it forward away from Momo. And with his left hand that held the knife, he slammed the handle in to his left temple. Knocking him down to the floor where Ichigo stabbed him arm so that he would drop the knife, but he didn't, he threw the knife straight ahead of him, barely missing Momo, Ichigo looked up just in time for him to see it impale itself in Retsu's back. She spun around to protect Orihime.

"Mom!" Momo shouted, as she tried to get free from Sosuke, even though he was unconscious, he still had an arm around her. Eventually free, she rushed over to her mother. Ichigo was just sitting there, still thinking to himself.

'Kill him? Should I kill him? He can't hurt Momo if he's dead…but…I…in front of all these people…they'll see me as something worse than him…Not now…No!' Ichigo felt that horrible feeling of his personality switching. He shut his eyes and clenched his fists as hard as he could. The feeling stopped. He opened his eyes to see Retsu being taken away with the knife still in her back. Ichigo looked down to see the knife still in his hand. He set the knife down and stood up. Just then a thought hit him. He looked up to one of the nurses.

"Sorry, but can you pull up his medical record for me?" He asked with a little smile as he helped Momo stand. He looked down the hall and saw a nurse carry the knife out of one of the rooms. "And bring it to me in the room Dr. Hinamori is in." He started walking with Momo to her mother's room.

"Ichigo, I didn't mean one word of it!" She shouted as she put an arm around him.

"I didn't believe a word of it, but right now, we need to see if your mom is okay. And I need to see something, so I'll be right back, stay with her." Ichigo left her at the room and ran to the nurse he asked to get the files. "Bring them to Gin Ichimaru's room instead! Thanks!" And he ran down the hall to his room. When he got inside he saw Rangiku sitting in a chair next to him with a bruise on her left cheek. Ichigo felt fury well up inside him and clenched a fist.

"Ichigo!"

"Oh, here to hurt me again?" Gin asked with a smile.

"Damn straight. Rangiku, come here." Ichigo pointed to a spot next to him without taking his eyes off gin, he was breathing heavily.

"Ichigo…I…it isn't what you think this is…I tripped." She said, she sounded like she had just finished crying.

"Like hell you did, I'm not asking. Come here." Ichigo asked again, this time glaring at her. she did as she was told. "Don't move." Ichigo told her and then made his way up to Gin's bed. He grabbed Gin's right arm and right hand, with one motion he broke his wrist. Ichigo let go and with his right hand he punched Gin in the same spot he hit Rangiku in. he turned just in time to see the nurse walk in with a thick file. He grabbed Rangiku's hand and the file and started walking away.

"You're worse than me." Ichigo heard Gin say as they left him.

"Why did you visit him? Tell me!" Ichigo shouted as they made their way down the hall.

"I told you…I love him."

"Rangiku, look at yourself, take out your mirror and look what he did to you, you're a beautiful girl, he ruined that. How do you think it makes me feel to see my friends beaten? Do you know how many of my friends were put in the hospital or hurt this week? I don't want to see it anymore! Leave him be! Go find someone else!"

"Ichigo…I have to tell you, that this bruise is really from me falling. I tripped and landed face first on a baseball, of all things, a baseball." As Rangiku explained this to him he couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Hey! Don't laugh!"

"You…fell on a baseball! Ha, ah, and I just broke his…alright, I'm starting to hate myself, come on, let's go find Retsu, I need to read this." They walked past Momo's room to see someone strapping Sosuke in to a wheelchair and cleaning the stab wound on his arm.

"What the hell happened here!?" Rangiku asked as she noticed the bloody knife on the floor and the absence of Momo.

"Long story, I'll tell you later."

…

"This explains so much…why he's like that…" Ichigo was reading Sosuke's medical file, he has a severe case of schizophrenia, a superiority complex, abandonment issues and is prone to violent mood swings.

"You realize that this means from a legal standpoint, he can't be arrested, it would just be too unethical to arrest someone with a mental deficiency and abandonment issues for trying to kidnap his ex." Urahara explained as he took the file to see himself.

"I figured as much, so does that mean this will all happen again? And what about…shit! Tier!" Ichigo nearly forgot that she was handcuffed to the bed. He ran back to Momo's room to find a nurse with a Taser…Ichigo backed up a bit. Not to frighten her.

"Do you need something?" She asked, turning from Sosuke to him.

"Yeah, there was a blonde woman handcuffed to the bed…where did she go?" Ichigo asked, out of breath from everything that happened in the last hour.

"Two rooms down, she's awake but we strapped her down not knowing who she is."

'Not good, that will just make her mad…' Ichigo thought to himself as he left. When he got near the room, the door was closed. He walked up and immediately heard why it was closed.

"YOU PIECE OF CRAP! TAKE THESE OFF ME! I'M NOT SOME ANIMAL TO BE HELD DOWN!" She was shouting at the security guard in there with her. Ichigo opened the door after sighing.

"Tier, shut the hell up, damn you're loud, take those off her."

"Oh, now you'll take them off?" She asked the man removing the straps.

"Tier, stop complaining, they didn't know who you were, it's standard procedure in a hospital."

"Well, he has a shrine to Momo Hinamori in his house, and he kept going back and forth from the hospital parking lot to the park, somehow he found me, knocked me out and now I'm here." She explained as she got out of the bed. A second later a police officer came in.

"Oh, damn it, will they stop calling me to things involving you? What is it this time?" The officer is Sajin Komamura from the other day.

"Oh, you came? That makes this easy, follow me."

…

It's four weeks later, Ichigo settled everything at the hospital. Well, nearly everything, that gang is still after him. Orihime is still a bit shaken up for having stabbed Ichigo, he's been going over to her house a few days out of the week and just talk with her, sometimes she would just cry to him. Everyone was released from the hospital, Tatsuki and Kaien have stayed together, Rangiku is still single since Ichigo yelling at her that day, she has a new found admiration for him as a person. Ichigo and Momo continued work, Gin was expelled. And much to Ichigo and Momo's joy, Sosuke was admitted into a mental hospital. It also turned out that he was high on illegal substances that day, so he was criminally tried. But since his mental illnesses he plead insanity and was institutionalized.

It was Friday, and it was the morning, Ichigo bought his own car and picks up Momo every morning, he;s on his way there now. It was a black Honda Accord, leather seats, sun roof, navigation, basically all the options except a body kit. He drives by Rangiku's house and notices a small child standing outside her house on the street, he keeps driving paying it no mind, he gets to Momo's house and gets out and walks to the door then knocks. A second later Isane opens the door and slaps him.

"Why?" Ichigo asks as he rubs his cheek. "Why did you hit me, Isane?"

"Urahara's shop stopped letting me get stuff for free by saying you would pay for it." She walked out of the house and got in the back seat of his car.

'Sure, hit me and expect a ride.' Ichigo thought as he looked back at her, he went inside and greeted Retsu.

"Good morning, is Momo ready?" He asked as he walked in to the kitchen.

"Oh good morning Ichigo, no, you're actually really early today, she hasn't eaten breakfast yet. Would you like some?"

'Maybe I should tell Isane to not wait in the car.' He thought to himself before speaking.

"I didn't eat either, my clock was wrong and I ran out in a hurry, yes please."

"Ichigo? What are you doing here…eating my eggs…" She asked as she came down the stairs to see him eating a eggs that Retsu just gave him. She had bandages around her head like Kukaku to keep pressure on her skull so it would heal better.

"Momo, Don't be like that, here." She sets a plate next to Ichigo and Momo sits down and lays her head on the table, reaching for a fork.

"Not sleep last night?" Ichigo asked as she looked up at him.

"Not really. I felt like my head was going to explode…I never want to fracture anything ever again." She took a bite of the eggs and Ichigo just chuckled and put his hand on her back.

"It isn't fun, hey, at least you weren't stabbed."

"And at least you didn't have a knife impaled in you from across a room." Retsu spoke up and sat across from them.

"Again, sorry, I tried making him drop it, whatever, Momo, did you prepare for that test today?"

"T-Test!?" She shouted and looked at him, Ichigo just laughed.

"There's no test, I just wanted to help you wake up."

"Mom…Get the bandages…" Momo said slowly as she gripped her fork tightly.

…

"Ichigo, what did you do to your hand?" Rangiku asked as he walked in to the class looking annoyed with a bloody bandage around his left hand. Momo follows looking cheerful. Apacci and Rukia have colds and are staying home.

"This little demon behind me stabbed me with a fork." Ichigo sayed as he turned around and put an arm around Momo.

"Momo? Don't stab your boyfriend! That's an effective way to break them."

'Why does she know…?' Ichigo thought as he and Momo went to their seats.

"Hey Rangiku, who was that kid outside your house this morning?"

"I don't know, I yelled at him and he ran away. Hey, hey, did you guys here, our homeroom teacher is changing, and there's a few transfer students coming to this class."

"Transfer students? This late in the year?" Momo asked, there was maybe two months left of school and then summer. "And who's the new homeroom?"

"Don't know, anyone is better than Nanao!" Rangiku shouted so Nanao could hear.

"Shut up Rangiku, not today." Nanao shouted back suddenly the door to the classroom flew open.

"Good morning, I…My name is Shirayuki-sensei. I'll be your new homeroom teacher from now on…" A woman with very light skin and snow white hair came in, she was wearing sea foam colored dress that went down to her shins and had sleeves that went a bit past her hands. "Please take care of me, this is my first time teaching." She said softly with a bow.

"I…She looks familiar…" Ichigo said quietly to himself. Then he had a flashback to working at Gotei 13 a week ago. Momo was thinking the same thing.

"_Yo, Ichigo! This is…I'm sorry what's your name again?" Kukaku asked the woman standing behind her._

"_Chidori Shirayuki."_

"_What the hell do you want now Kukaku!?" Ichigo shouts as he comes out of the kitchen to see them._

"_As I was saying, this is Chidori Shirayuki, she'll be working on Sundays, teach her everything, okay? She's new in this country." Kukaku left the two of them alone. He held his hand out to her._

"_I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, nice to meet you, Chidori." She looked up at him and then took his hand and shook it._

"_Nice to meet you, Kurosaki-kun, no, should I say Kurosaki-Senpai? Since you're my superior?"_

'_Senpai sounds nice…' Ichigo thought to himself._

"_I'm not your superior, I'm just a cook, plus I'm still only a second year high school student. Anyway, come with me, let's get you something to wear." He led her in to the back room where Momo was, she was on her break and was waiting for Ichigo to come talk with her._

"_Hi Ichigo, oh? Who's this?" Momo asked as she got up._

"_Chidori Shirayuki. She's working on Sundays and I have to teach her all the ways to do everything. Chidori, this is Momo Hinamori."_

"Ichigo…is that…?" Momo whispered to him.

"Yeah, that's Chidori…from a week ago…"

"Ah, Kurosaki-sen…kun and Hinamori-san, nice to see you again." She said with a smile, the entire class turned to look at them. Ichigo just put his head down. Momo spoke for them both.

"Likewise, Shirayuki-sensei. I didn't expect you to be a teacher though…"

"As I said It's my first time teaching. I never imagined I would be in your homeroom teacher though…Yes, Principal Kyoraku?" She spoke as Shunsui came in. he walked over to her and whispered something.

"I…ah…I don't think I can do that…"

"Now, come on, I believe in you. Either way, you have to." He turned to the students and sighed.

"Students, there is a little…problem, most of our teachers, decided to quit, and so Shirayuki-sensei will fill in for all of your subjects!" And he left, the students turned to Chidori and looked at her as she had her head hung down in defeat.

"Students…you heard him, I'm not great in most subjects, so bear with it, okay?"

…

"Yo, Rangiku, want a ride?" Ichigo asked as they left the school.

"Sure. Oh, where's…"

"Isane? She has club stuff." Momo said as she caught up with them. they got out to the parking lot and saw Chidori standing in the parking lot on her phone next to Ichigo's car. The three of them walked over to the car.

"I…you…yes…I understand." And she hung up her phone. "Oh, sorry, am I in the way of your car?" She asked, sounding a bit sad.

"Chidori, what's up, you seem bothered." Ichigo asked as he unlocked his car for the other two.

"Ichigo, don't call the teacher by her first name!" Rangiku scolded him as she gets in the car.

"I knew her as Chidori before Shirayuki-sensei, so what's bothering you."

"I really shouldn't tell you this, I've been evicted."

"Evicted? But…really? Do you have anywhere to go?" Ichigo asked as he walked around the car and sat on the hood.

"I ye…no."

"If you don't mind insanity, you could stay over at my place."

"Kurosaki-kun, I will not. I am your teacher!"

"Wait! Calm down, no, not like that, my house is huge, and the girl in the front seat is my girlfriend."

"I…is it really no problem?" She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"Not at all, however, you may be in for a surprise when you meet my family. By the way, do you have a car?"

"I can't afford a place to live, no I don't have a car, I rode the bus this morning." She told him.

"Of course not…get in…" Ichigo told her as he stood up and got in.

"What was that about…why is she getting in?" Rangiku asked from the back seat.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Chidori said as she got in.

'How can he afford this car!? This car cost more than my apartment…' She thought to herself as he started the car and pulled away.

"She's going to stay with me until she can afford a place of her own." Ichigo explained.

"Ah, Ichigo, tomorrow, can I possibly come over? Isane is bringing her friends over and I don't want to be there for it." Momo asked with a smile.

"Yeah, you're welcome anytime, Chidori, I'm going to drop them off first."

…

"Alright, Where is your old apartment, let's get your clothes and other stuff, if there's anything big, I'll have someone go by and pick it up for you."

"Okay, let's see…where are we…"

…

"Wow, right next to Orihime's." Ichigo said as the two of them walked up to it.

"Orihime Inoue? Should I ask her if I can stay with her instead?"

"No, she already has a roommate. Plus it's probably the same as yours." Ichigo spoke as she opened the door.

'Clothes…everywhere…shoes…' Ichigo froze behind her at the sight of how messy it was. He pulled out his phone and called his dad.

"Yeah, dad, get room four ready, I'm bringing someone to stay a while." Ichigo said as he watched her pile her clothes into a suitcase.

'Room four? Do they live in a hotel?' She thought to herself as she kept packing.

"Oh, is it someone I know?"

"No, it's someone from work and school." Ichigo started handing her things to put in the suitcase.

"Fine, wait…do they know?"

"I'll explain it." And he hung up.

"Okay, my dad is going to set up the room for you, has it's own bathroom, although it might not work, some of them don't."

"Do you live in a hotel or something? You said room numbers.

"No, we just have ten bedrooms, four, five and eight are empty."

'Are they rich?'

"Okay! I got my clothes…I don't really need any of this other stuff, it was here when I moved in…of, wait, hold on!" She drops the suitcase and opened the closet. Barren of clothes.

'There was a closet…yet you use the floor? What…?'

"Okay. Let's go."

"What's with the bear and sword…? Never mind the bear actually, why do you have a sword?" It was a pure white katana with a white ribbon hanging off the end of it.

"Well, the bear, my little sister gave it to me before she died, and the sword is my mother's. She had it appraised before she died, and it could buy me a new house, but I cant bring myself to sell it you know, too much value to my heart, so lets go."

…

"You live here? It's huge! Who are these people?" She was looking out the window at the two rows of men and women on either side of the car.

"Welcome to the Shiba Syndicate. Before you ask, are you a yakuza!? Yes I am, I'm the next head, but not by choice, I personally hate it, but my family, I can't leave them. If my mother and sisters were still here, maybe I would leave this. But I can't."

"I…right…I dated a Yakuza once…I didn't like them either. I can handle it, as long as they don't make me do anything."

"If they do tell me, and they wont bother you again, they're all afraid of me." Ichigo said with a smirk as he parked the car, he got out and grabbed her suitcase. She got out and began following him.

"Welcome home Yo-" They start shouting.

"Shut up!" Ichigo shouts and keeps walking, Chidori flinches from the outburst. "Don't pay attention to anyone I don't tell you their names."

"Got it." They went inside and started walking down a hall with twelve door, a bathroom, laundry room and bedrooms. They walked past Ichigo's bedroom and he heard a sneeze, he froze.

"Can you hold on a second…" He turned and opened his door and ran in. "Get the hell out of my room! I don't want to be sick!" Ichigo chased Apacci and Rukia out of his room. And they retreated to their rooms.

"What was that?" She asked, completely confused.

"My sister and cousin…I'll introduce them later, their in the same class, so get used to them. here, this is your room." He pointed to the one across from his, and opened the door. Isshin was in there putting pillows on the bed.

"Ah, oh? Is this the house guest?"

"Yeah, Dad, this is Chidori Shirayuki."

"you said she was from your school…she looks a bit old, no? No offense Chidori-chan."

"Right, I didn't tell you, she's my new homeroom teacher and got evicted, so she'll stay h-"

"You can stay as long as you like!" Isshin shouted before letting Ichigo finish. "My name is Isshin! Head of the Shiba Syndicate!"

"Nice to meet you. I can pay rent for this, your son is already so nice, the least I can do is pay for staying here." She said while bowing.

"No you won't, you couldn't keep rent on that apartment. You can stay for free." Ichigo said while waving her off. "I'm going to give the notes from today to those two, If you need anything, I'll be across the hall or outside."

"Alright."

…

"Why were you two in my room…while you were sick, that is the one rule that I wanted you to follow, stay out when you're sick." Ichigo asked as he got them outside.

"Sorry, was bored." Apacci explained with a wave of her hand and a cough.

"And your excuse?" Ichigo asked Rukia.

"I don't need one. Oh, who was that woman with you earlier?"

"Chidori Shirayuki, don't get her sick, she's our teacher. Well, our new Homeroom, and well there was an issue with most other teachers, something about they wouldn't work for such little pay, they quit and now Chidori is our teacher for all subjects."

"You brought home a teacher!? She's so pretty, are you sure she's a teacher?"

"Well, yeah, she was our teacher today, and apparently works at Gotei 13 with me on Sundays."

'Wonder if she fucked him to get a room here?' Apacci thought as she stood up.

"Ah, excuse me, the shower in my room doesn't work, is there another one I can use?" Chidori asked as she found Ichigo.

"Yeah, I figured it wouldn't work. It's the last room on the right in that hall." Ichigo said as he got up.

"The light burned out last night and I haven't replaced it yet, follow me." Ichigo led her back inside and to a closet with a bunch of candles and matches. "Grab a few and light them, I don't need you tripping over anything."

"Thank you." She said as she grabbed a few candles. "Please do not speak of this to any students." She asked him with a slight blush as she walked to the room he said.

"Sure." Ichigo replied as he went the other way. When he got back outside he looked out to the front gate and he saw Ginjo. He was on a motorcycle staring at the two girls sitting there. Ichigo started sprinting to him but it didn't matter because he drove away leaving Ichigo cursing in a cloud of smoke. Isshin ran over because he saw this.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing, but if you see that man again chase him off. He's the leader of a small gang called Fullbringers."

"I've heard of them, alright I'll get rid of him if I see him again." His father replied and started walking back. Ichigo followed but didn't follow him inside, instead he sat down next to Apacci and Rukia.

"You two think you will be okay tomorrow? I don't like taking notes like that."

"I think I'll be good tomorrow, Apacci not so much." Rukia said with a smile. She had been acting a lot more like a sister to him recently.

"Whatever." Ichigo said with a sigh as he looked to the sky and smiled.

"Um, excuse me again, that shower doesn't work." Chidori said from behind them.

"Really? Rukia, which ones work?"

"Yours. Dad's. And Mira's." Mira was the maid who's been with them for fifteen years.

"Really…why has nobody been called to fix them?"

"Dad insists he'll fix them eventually." Rukia replies, she stands up and walks over to Chidori. "Come on, I'll let you use his." She pointed back to Ichigo.

"Is that something for you to decide?" Ichigo asked, annoyed. "Why not Dad's or Mira's…and you just walk away." Ichigo was left with Apacci as Rukia dragged Chidori away.

'This is going to be difficult…living with my teacher…at least she seems to be passive and not strict. But…this shower situation is going to kill me.'


	6. Waiting for the end

"Chidori-chan. You look foreign, may I ask where you are from?" Isshin asks as Ichigo, Apacci, Rukia him and her are sitting around a table eating dinner.

"Yes, I was raised in Alaska, I'm half Japanese, half American."

"Oh, so a halfbreed teacher working two jobs? That's rare." Apacci grumbled while chewing something. "You ass!" Ichigo smacked the back of her head.

"Sorry, ignore her, she's…a bad seed." Ichigo says before taking a bite.

"It's alright I'm used to it." Chidori says with a sigh. "Oh, sorry! I'm not trying to make you pity me!"

"I don't pity you. I just think that you shouldn't be teased about who your parents were, it's not like you have a choice in that matter. Love is love."

"Says the supposed expert." Apacci lets out and again gets hit by Ichigo.

"That is why people learned quick not to mess with Ichigo." Rukia added to his statement. "He lives by if violence doesn't solve it, you're not using enough."

"I had a feeling when I first met you that you weren't as hostile as you talked to Shiba-san, but your sister says you are."

"Oh, he's hostile to Kukaku? Good, she keeps him on his toes." Isshin said as he stood up to get something.

"She's our aunt." Rukia says.

"Oh, will you excuse me, I need to make a call, I nearly forgot to tell my brother I'm living here for a while."

…

"Honestly! How could you get evicted? You're not living there a year and they kick you out!" Her brother Saguro was shouting at her over the phone in a different room. "You're useless, I swear. Why didn't you sell her sword? That could have bought you a house, you remember the price that it was given!"

"Saguro, please understand, I'm working two jobs and I cant pay the rent if I also want to eat. Teachers don't make good money no matter what country I'm in." She complained back at her older brother, she moved to Japan to get away from him but she still needed to let him know she was safe. "I'm living with one of my students, he was kind enough to let me stay here for free."

"Just what I'd expect from a whore like you, cant pay rent and you go fucking your students for a bed! I'm needed somewhere else, goodbye." His words made her start crying. She stood there with tears in her eyes as she put the phone back in her purse. She didn't say anything as she walked through the room where the others were eating. She just went past them and tried to go to her room, but went in the wrong door three times.

Back in the other room where they were eating the four of them were looking back and forth between each other.

"Was she crying?" Ichigo asked quiety.

"Don't know. Go ask." Apacci told him.

"Rukia, go talk to her." Isshin said as he took a drink.

"But Ichigo brought her!"

"Fine, since you're all heartless, I'll go talk to her."

…

"Chidori, you okay?" Ichigo asked as he walked in to her room to see her staring at the white katana sitting on her bed.

"Kurosaki-kun, it's not polite to enter a woman's room uninvited." She told him not looking at him.

"Well, you didn't say anything when I knocked. And since it's my house I wanted to know if you're okay. If you need anything." He said as he walked closer to her.

"Heh, I wont burden you anymore with my problems, you're already doing so much for me I couldn't possibly bother you anymore."

"As long as you're living here you're considered family." His words made her flinch, it's because her family that she's like this.

'Is he really just a second year high school student…he's so noble…' She thought to herself as she slowly turned around.

"Family, huh? My brother just called me a whore for being evicted and moving in with a student."

"What the hell? What kind of brother is that?" Ichigo was mortified that a brother could say that to his sister.

"A bad one that I moved around the world to get away from."

"Then…why do you still talk to him? If he treats you like that, just don't talk to him."

"I have to let him know that I'm okay…It makes me feel better that he at least knows I'm alive."

"I could set something up to make him think you're dead, I know a very idiotic genius who basically does what I tell him."

"I…Go study, idiot." She said with a smile, he cheered her up.

"I'm starting to think you're going to chew me out for not having good scores when I don't."

"Expect it…um…I somewhat may have left my food there. Can I please go finish it?" She asked with a pleading smile.

"I don't think you're getting this family thing, it's still on the table, or it should be, unless those morons ate it. Come on."

…

Momo was sitting in her room reading a magazine when her cat decided to jump on her lap making her flinch a bit and drop the magazine.

"Yoruichi, what is it?" She asked the cat which just meowed and jumped off. Suddenly her phone rang.

"Hey Momo." It was Ichigo.

"Ichigo! Hi!"

"Hi, so, are you doing anything right now?" Ichigo asked, curious to see if she wanted to do something, he was getting annoyed at Apacci coughing and sneezing all the time.

"Not right now, why?"

"Good, I'm on my way." Ichigo said as he grabbed his keys.

"But! No. I'm not dressed!"

"Then get dressed, I'm coming over whether you're dressed or not."

…

"Ichigo? What a surprise!" Retsu said as she opened the door. "Momo's upstairs, go on up." Ichigo nodded and walked past her, but she grabbed his arm. "Never sit in the kitchen, she'll be down in a second." Retsu looked up Ichigo's medical file and learned of it. She prescribed him pills to keep it away and to stop it when it was happening. She also had a shot of the medicine for whenever it comes out and he's there. He scoffed and sat at the table looking bothered, Retsu dug around in a drawer until she found it, she came up behind him and stabbed it into his shoulder and injected his with a pale blue liquid. After a few seconds of convulsing, Ichigo returned to normal.

"I was distracted while I drove and he came out, thank you."

"No problem, now head upstairs." She smiled to him as she went back to what she was doing. Ichigo stood up rubbing his shoulder and headed up the stairs. When he got to Momo's room he knocked and she opened the door. Ichigo's face turned a light shade of red when she opened it. She was wearing only her underwear, she stood there frozen staring at him in horror.

"Uh…Momo." And she slammed the door. Ichigo just stood outside for a few minutes trying to calm his mind. A few minutes go by and the door opens a bit.

"Come in…" She quietly said, she was really embarrassed.

"You know, it doesn't take long for me to get here now." Ichigo explained as he looked at her wearing a blue T-shirt and sweatpants. "And you look pretty." He smiled and sat on the floor in front of her.

"I…Eh…uh…" She blushed, she still wasn't used to all the compliments he was giving her recently. "Why? I'm wearing this…"

"I don't care." Ichigo smiled.

"What are you planning…you don't smile this much without a plan…"

"I do have a plan in fact. But I'm not setting it in motion until you come over tomorrow."

'I should just not go…but I want to go over, it's been so long since I was there. He comes here every morning…' Momo thought to herself as she looked down at him.

"Fine, as long as you don't see me without my clothes again." She said crossing her arms with a little blush.

"Okay, deal. It has nothing to do with that anyway. So, are you going out like that?" Ichigo asked as he stood up.

"Go out? Where? Why? You didn't say anything?" Momo complained at the thought of going anywhere.

"Momo, It's a surprise, but you'll love it."

…

"This? Wow…I wanted to go here…I was going to ask you to take me tomorrow!" Ichigo took Momo to a festival that started a few days ago.

"Rukia wanted to go, but I'm making her stay home so I could be alone with you." Ichigo said as he parked the car.

"Oh, look! A Ferris Wheel! Can we ride that?"

"Calm down Momo, you still have a fractured skull, it hasn't fully healed and if you aren't too careful, you'll end up like Kukaku. But yes, we'll ride the Ferris wheel."

…

They bought tickets for the Ferris Wheel, after standing in line for what Momo believed was forever. They got on, they went around twice before it stopped them. They weren't at the top, but near enough to have a good view of the lake the festival was next to. Ichigo reached in to his pocket with his right hand and grabbed something. With his left arm he put it around Momo and pulled her close.

"Ichigo…Did I ever tell you why I like Ferris Wheels so much?" Momo said softly.

"No, why?" Ichigo asked, deciding to give his gift when she's done speaking.

"Because I'm so short, I like being able to look above everything. See things I wouldn't see. If you were down there, I would see the top of your head, something I rarely see with you being a freakishly tall bean sprout."

"I think you're just messing with me at this point. But I understand, go on."

"I also like it because If I close my eyes, I can imagine I'm flying. The birds…I'm envious of them, they can fly and go wherever they like."

"I'm envious of them too, only for the flying part, I pretty much go where I like." Ichigo said with a chuckle. The Ferris Wheel started moving again but abruptly stopped when they were closer to the top.

"I wonder why it stopped again…"

'Maybe I should give it to her now.' Ichigo thought as he put his hand back in his pocket, this time pulling out a small golden chain with a ring on it, the ring had a small diamond. He reached over when Momo wasn't looking and put it around her neck.

"Wha…Ichigo? What is…this?" She took the ring in her hand and looked at it carefully. It looked like it had been through hell. There were chips and scratches, a spot where it looks like a knife had hit it really hard.

"My dad gave that to my mom when they started dating, and I want to give it to my child whenever I think they have a relationship like ours. Strong. And bound to last. The ring is nearly two hundred years old."

"Ichigo…I…Thank you." Momo gave him a huge warm smile, and he pulled her close and leaned in, kissing her, suddenly they ehar a really loud voice of a man.

"Everyone on the Ferris Wheel, we're having mechanical Issues, do not worry you will be brought down soon!"

"I really don't care right now…" Momo said as she pulled away for a second then went right back to his lips.

…

"I didn't think they would mean two hours…" Momo said in a whining tone as they walked back to Ichigo's car.

"Well, what can you do, there was a problem with the motor…Do you maybe want to spend the night at my place, it's already midnight. I'll call your mom if you want."

'Oh my god…he's asking me to stay over…is that okay? What if he tries…no…he wouldn't…but if…well, I guess it's okay…the teacher is…right, the teacher is there…'

"Earth to Momo Hinamori, are you there?" Ichigo said as he waved his hand in front of her face. "We have more empty rooms, and I'm sure Mira is the same size as you, she's a small woman."

"Mira?"

"Oh, that's the maid that lives with us, she's been with us for like…I cant remember when she wasn't there actually…So, should I tell your mom?"

…

"Welcome ho…and Momo?" Isshin greeted them as they walked in to the room he was in, Chidori was in there too, she was reading a book in the corner though.

"She's spending the night, I was wondering if Mira had anything that Momo could sleep in."

"Why not that? It looks acceptable as sleepwear, I shall wash them in the morning." Mira said. She was a small woman, maybe a little taller then Momo, her hair was white like Chidori's but much shorted, and her eyes were a bright green. She like to sneak up on Ichigo, so she followed him in without him knowing. But when she spoke it started him and Momo.

"Ah, Mira…would you please not do sneak up on me anymore…"

"No. Hinamori-san, it's been a while hasn't it…?"

"Oh, you're Mira, I didn't know your name…Hi, yes it has been. So…which room will I be staying in." Momo said with a sigh of defeat. She tried to convince her mom to say no, but she trusted Ichigo and said it would be a learning experience.

"Five. It's next to Chidori-chan's room." Isshin spoke up.

"Call me that again and I will see to it that Kurosaki-kun is the next head a bit sooner." She says as she closes her book and stands up.

"Oh don't be like that Chidori-cha-" He was stopped by a book hitting him square in the face.

"Kurosaki-san, be quiet when a lady requests so, Kurosaki-kun, Hinamori-san I will see you two in the morning, goodnight." She says as she walks by them and out of the room.

"You know, she's really a good person. She is so polite, offered to help me with the chores, of course I told her that she couldn't, she's your guest." Mira said as she took Momo's hand. "Come with me, I'll show you your room."

…

"Oh, you're not going to fuck her brains out?"

"Why…why are you again in my room?" Ichigo asked Apacci who was laying on her side on the floor next to his bed.

"I was just wondering why your girlfriend is across the hall, without you inside her."

"Out. Or I'll make you get out."

"Try it!" She shouted as she jumped up. Ichigo just grabbed her loeft arm and twisted it behind her back, he reached for the door and opened it with his other hand, he then kicked her out the door.

"I tried, and succeeded…eh…Chidori…I…" He looked up to see Chidori looking out of her door because of the yelling.

"Oh, now you're hurting a lady? I'll deal with that on Monday, Kurosaki-chan." Ichigo flinched at the tone she used along with that honorific. He knew one thing would come from this. Bad.

"Eh. Well shit."

…

"Morning." Ichigo mumbled to Rukia as he walked in to the kitchen. She yawned and nodded.

"Morning…so, Momo stayed over last night?" Rukia asked, she was asleep when they got back.

"Yeah, and before you ask anything, no we didn't."

"Damn, you're psychic, so what's for breakfast?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to McDonalds. I'll be back in half an hour." Ichigo grabbed his keys off a hook in the kitchen and started walking away.

"Bring us all something then!" Rukia shouted. Hoping that Ichigo would listen.

…

"That…sucks…what kind of McDonalds is closed on a Saturday!?" Ichigo complained as he walked down the street looking for a different place for breakfast.

"Ichigo? Is that…hey!" A girl shouted from across the street. Ichigo looked up to se Nel, he smiled and walked over to her.

"Hey Nel. What's up?" Ichigo asks as they start walking together.

"I'm just out for a morning walk. What are you out for, you sounded annoyed."

"Ah, no, I'm okay. I'm getting breakfast for everyone. I was heading to McDonalds, but that's closed for some awful reason. Any recommendations?"

"Curry and eggs!" Ichigo cringed at that suggestion.

…

"You're back a bit longer than I imagined you'd be." Apacci complained as she followed him inside. "Rukia said you're bringing breakfast."

"Yeah, no. Ask Mira if you don't want to make something, I'm making cereal. Morning, Momo." Ichigo says as he walks over to Momo sitting at the table and kisses her cheek.

"Morning…Ichigo." She says between a yawn. She stands up. "Can you make me some cereal, I'm going to go change these bandages and shower."

"Showers might be broken, the one in my room works, I know that for sure." Ichigo spoke up and she sat back down.

"I'm f-fine with not showering…" Momo said with a slight blush.

"Loosen up, he's gonna screw you eventually, the least you ca-You asshole!" Apacci was talking until Ichigo hit her with the spoon he found. Ichigo looked to Momo who's heavily blushing.

"I won't go in there while you're in there, I promise. Mira, can you give her something to wear and wash her clothes?" This time Ichigo knew Mira had snuck up on him on his way in, sometimes he knew.

"Yes, if you will follow me." Mira said to Momo as she walked over to her. The two of them left the room and Rukia started talking.

"You haven't had sex with her yet? Why not, you both love each other."

"She's still embarrassed about me calling her pretty, do you think she'll be comfortable with me seeing her naked?" Ichigo said as he sat down with his cereal.

"But what about this whore right here?" Rukia asked, pointing at Apacci who tried to hit her but Ichigo said something that stopped her.

"If you hit my sister, I'll put you in the hospital."

"What the hell, you couldn't care less if you are the one hitting her."

"Not once have I physically hurt her. Right?" Ichigo asked Rukia.

"Yeah, he may be rough but he hasn't actually hurt me."

"Oh, what wonderful conversation have I stumbled in to? My daughter and my son having a rough love affair?" Isshin asked as he walked in.

"Dad…shut up. Ichigo and Apacci are just arguing." Rukia says as she stands up.

"I'm just going off of what I just heard. Oh, did you give Momo that ring on a chain."

"Yeah, last night while we were stuck on the Ferris Wheel the entire time we were out." Ichigo explained with a chuckle.

"Good morning." Chidori said as she shuffled in wearing a white robe and her hair is wet.

"Morning." Ichigo said as he kept eating.

"I was thinking about how weird this situation is, there is bound to be bad rumors going around if I'm seen getting in and out of your car every day at the school."

"Trust me, those rumors would be better than the current ones. Everyone thinks I'm a gangbanger and kill puppies for fun."

"Aren't you a gangbanger though?" Chidori asks as she sits next to Rukia who leans in and whispers something in her ear. She flinches back and a slight blush creeped on her face.

"Yeah. That gangbanger." Ichigo says as he stands up. "Want anything for breakfast?"

"I…anything." She shook her blush away and responded.

"Alright." Ichigo said with a small smirk.

…

"That…Why a…" Chidori was coughing with tears in her eyes.

"Hazing the new teacher and new employee at the same time, don't worry, just drink some milk, I'll make you something else." Ichigo made her a bowl of cereal but put jalapeno extract in the milk.

"You will suffer the rest of the year. I swear on it." She managed to say before downing a glass of milk Ichigo gave her.

"I look forward to it. Oh, I thought of a way that you can get around those rumors that would start. I had someone make it appear to the records at school that we're related."

"How…please…don't tell me you're a hacker too." Chidori said putting her head in her hands. "I cant handle this."

"No, but I know someone who makes things happen." Ichigo finished making her something else, he made her scrambled eggs, figured he'd give her a good breakfast. He also made her some toast. "Here, think of it as an apology." He put the plate down in front of her and smiled.

'At least he's almost considerate…I can't believe this, I met him a week ago and he let me move in for free…is this what all of Japan is like? And that hair of his…and that Apacci girl, that can't be natural.'

"Is your hair and her hair natural?"

"Apacci?"

"Yes, her…this is good!"

"Thanks, and my hair is natural, my mother had the same color. And I don't know about her, but I've never seen it a different color or even fade, so who knows…Oh hey Momo."

"Hey Ichigo, you're lucky to have your own shower…I have to share with my sister." Momo whined as she walked around to Ichigo and hugged him.

"You aren't wearing bandages, you still need them for another week." Ichigo said as she let go of him.

"I was curious about that, why does she need bandages around her head, she looks fine?"

"Chidori, I forgot that we just met you, she fractured her skull a while back and the bandages keep the needed pressure."

"A fractured skull!?" She nearly choked when she heard that.

"Long story, we wont bother you with the details, but it involved someone who didn't need to be there."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, recover well."

"You have a guest, someone by the name of Jackie." Mira said as she led a woman with dark skin and dark hair into the kitchen. She was wearing a leather jacket with skinny jeans and a white scarf. Mira left her with them.

"Do…I know you?" Ichigo asked as the woman looked around with a bored expression.

"No, you don't, but I know you, I'm here to extend an olive branch to you from the Fullbringers, we do not wish a confrontation with the Shiba syndicate, he would come himself but he is busy, so I'm here."

"You're telling me that he wants to apologize? Tell him to do it himself, so I can spit in his face and break his neck. And his problem isn't the Yakuza, it's me. I'm worse. I'll let him live with his injuries. He doesn't deserve the gift of death." Chidori and Rukia were sitting there in awe and silence of how quickly Ichigo went from happy to threatening.

"He apologizes for everything he has caused you and will come by for whatever punishment you seem fit, he will be alone." Jackie reason to Ichigo.

"Fine, tell him, one month from now, if he isn't at the address I'm giving you, tell him I'll hunt him until the day I die. Now get out of my house." Ichigo pointed away and looked her dead in the eyes handing her a piece of paper. She just smirked and started walking out.

"Mind telling me what that was about? Is it safe here?" Chidori asked him quickly, she has no idea about the problem with them."

"Since you know me, it's safer here than alone. How recently did you come here." Ichigo asked, he's going to fill her in on the last few months of happenings so she's not just a complete outcast.

…

"Thank you for letting me stay over, I'll see you both tomorrow." Momo said goodbye after kissing Ichigo. She ran to her mother's car and got in.

"You actually went out like that…" Her mother said with a sigh, at her daughter's choice of clothing, the sweatpants and tank top.

"It's not like we were going anywhere fancy…we went to that fair. Festival, whatever it is. OH RIGHT! Look!" She held up the ring on the chain around her neck and showed her mom.

"It's beautiful, Ichigo gave it to you?" Momo blushed and nodded. "What's the blush for…? He didn't make you do anything indecent…did he?"

"NO! Mom! Nothing like that! He said his dad gave this to his mom when they were dating, and he gave it to me, and he said he wants to give this to his kid to give to who they date." Momo explained as Retsu started driving away.

"Are you going to have his children then?"

"In all honesty…I love him, I would do near anything for him. I…just…want my first time to be…"

"I get it, special, and all that other junk. Trust me Momo, the first time is horrible, it isn't special, usually it ends quickly and with you in tears."

"MOM!"

"Well, now that I think of it…that was everytime…"

"Take me back! I'm moving out!" Momo shouted with a bright red face.

"Calm down, you know, Datoru was the first I dated. I want his first…you know…this seems to be a cycle…you've been together how long…I bet within the next three months he proposes to you." She smiled at Momo who was just silently glaring at her.

"Oh don't be like that. I'm joking, but if he doesn't, I'll stop my jokes."

"just…please…drive."

"Fine. Oh, I didn't see that woman Isane described, your new teacher and co-worker is living with him?"

"She kept to herself most of the day, only finding Ichigo when she needed something. She doesn't want to burden him after him giving her a free place to live. I guess she's trying to not get too friendly with him because she doesn't want to lose the teaching job. Rukia doesn't seem to like her much."

"Hmm…I don't like it."

"What do you mean?"

"This song is too repetitive…"

"Mom…are we even talking about the same thing anymore…?" Momo asked, annoyed at how her mom was being today.

"No, but listen to me Momo, in all seriousness, you wont find someone like Ichigo ever again, hold on and don't let him go, no matter what. That personality of his is odd, and there's the D.I.D Issue, but he is starting to control it better. Anyway, I will say his personality, being gentle enough to hold you while you were severly hurt, to beating in Aizen-san's skull for you. You know he had a huge concussion from that one hit to the head Ichigo gave him. Imagine what would happen if he got a good hit in."

"Mom, don't talk about that person." Momo said, about Sosuke.

"Right, sorry…he's a rare breed, Ichigo. The law can't touch him it seems, I researched his criminal file and it's very…interesting. He was convicted for a double homicide but it was ruled justified, there wasn't even a reason given for the ruling, he's untouchable, which means, as you know, nothing can keep him from you if you ever need him."

"What made you look him up in such detail?" Momo asked cautiously.

"Do you think I didn't notice how he held the knife and subdued Inoue-san? I wanted to at least know why he had knife training like that and how he knew to hit her where he did. The spot where he hit her, can effectively end almost any fight. It pushes all the air out of the lungs and forces the other to stop and breath before doing anything else, and if hit hard enough it will cause the heart to beat irregularly and make movement hard. He hit her just hard enough to make her stop moving, but no long term damage came from it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"See for yourself, check my messages to him." She pulled out her phone and handed it to Momo.

'I looked up all of your records, expert fighter, knife skills of a U.S. Seal…Can you teach Momo to protect herself? Don't hurt her too bad, but remember I'm a doctor, so you an rough her up a bit, avoid her head though. Teach her what you did to Inoue-san.' Momo read the first message from her mother to him.

'I was planning on it anyway, and since I just got your approval without asking, I'll do that once school ends, a few weeks away. And I might accidentally bruise a few ribs, teaching her that defense technique.'

'That's fine.'

"MOM! You gave him permission to bruise my ribs and beat me!?"

"No, I gave him permission to teach you how to protect yourself, no better teacher than someone who will do anything for you. And plus, he's free."

"My gosh, you're so cheap."

"Not true, I bought you something, you'll see it in about two minutes." Retsu said with a smirk as she took the long way around the street to their house, to build suspense on Momo.

"If it's another dress…I'm really moving out."

…

"He believed me. Here, in one month from today, go there. We'll hide there during the day and wait for him." Jackie said as she handed the paper to Ginjo as he walked in the door, he actually had somewhere to go, otherwise he would have been the one at Ichigo's house.

"Great…Now, mind telling me why you're in my house?"

"I moved in a week ago…you really are forgetful when it isn't a personal grudge…" Jackie whined and shrugged. "Whether you remember me living here or not. I'm not going anywhere else today."

…

"Hey, Ran-chan." Momo said to Rangiku over the phone.

"Oh hey Momo, what's up? Have fun at Ichigo's house?" Rangiku asked with a curious tone.

"Yeah, theres…something I want to ask you. Are you home, it's rather personal, can I come over?"

"Yeah, come on, I'm here, Toshiro went out I think."

…

"So, what was so importantly personal that you had to come over and not say it on the phone?" Rangiku asked as she let Momo in to her room.

"D-does it…hurt?" Momo asked quiety.

"Does what h-"

"S-sex. Does it hurt…the first time…? My mom…said it wasn't a wonderful experience, it wouldn't be special and…"

"For like a minute, it really hurts, then it feels, better. After a while, it starts to feel amazing, well, it feels much better and is easier on your mind if you love and completely trust the guy you're with…Wait! Are you finally going to have sex with Ichigo?"

"I-I well…"

"I'm so proud of you!" Rangiku shouted while pulling Momo into a tight hug. Momo started to struggle.

"Let me go! Let me go…thank you, god, you overreact to everything I say. I'm only asking because he gave me this and said he is going to give it to his kid when they are dating someone they love." Momo said as she held up the ring on a chain.

"Ring's a bit banged up, don't you think?" Rangiku asked as she examined it.

"Well…it's two hundred years old and been through hell from what he told me earlier."

"Wait! He said his kid? He wants to marry you!"

"I think that's obvious from the 'I'll never leave you' 'You'll never be alone.' My mom even looked into him and found that the law apparently can't touch him. So nothing can keep him from me. I'm still not sure if I should be afraid of him or leap in to his arms and be comfortable."

"Momo. The guy saved your life. Go screw his brains out."

"Ran-chan! Shut up!" Momo shouted at her and stood up.

"I only asked you because well, you're open about this kind of thing. I'm not…I want it to mean something, I want to be with him forever but if I screw something up…"

"Momo. It would take a brain dead monkey missing a leg to screw up something like sex. Well, from the girl's angle. If you are serious about him, and staying with him, even marrying him, your virginity is your last gift to him, if you've already devoted, mind and soul to him, body is the last on the list. Hmm…on the one year anniversary, do it then."

"That's easy for you to say…I'm scared." Momo said quietly with a red face.

"Don't be scared. It's bound to happen eventually. Waiting until marriage is not good for you, you'll be sexually frustrated."

"I…"

"Although, you might want to wait until your skull is fully healed."

"W-What does that have to do with anything!?" Momo shouted with a confused face.

"Well, you might slam your head into something."

…

"Chidori, you need anything, I'm going to go get gas for the car." Ichigo asked as he walked by her outside. She was sitting under a tree reading a book.

"No, I don't need anything; you already gave me a home to stay in for free." She responded without looking up to him.

"Fine, suit yourself, but you're not making enough to move out, at least let me treat you like a guest." He said as he stopped.

"Fine…if you're going to be persistent…Bring me some chocolate."

…

"Hey, hey! Ichigo-kun! Is it true? The rumors about you and Shirayuki-sensei?" A classmate asked him who happened to work at the gas station he was at.

"That depends what the rumor is." He replied, not looking up from the shelves inside.

"Well, a bunch of us saw her getting in your car yesterday, and you know how these things go, did she sleep with you? Are you secretly dating her behind Hinamori-chan's back, in front of her."

"No, as it turns out, we're related and I'm giving her a place to stay." Ichigo said looking up at his annoyed. He flinched and waved his hands.

"I don't believe the rumors of course, I was told by Asano-san." He said as Ichigo came up to the counter to pay.

"Damn it, Keigo. Anyway, I'll see you Monday." Ichigo said as he walked out.

…

It was Sunday, Ichigo and Chidori are on their way to pick up Momo.

"How long have you two been dating?" Chidori asks with a smile.

"Since early December. I guess you don't have a boyfriend, considering you didn't mention anyone like that when I offered a place to stay."

"No, not for a long time anyway." She seemed uncomfortable with the subject so Ichigo didn't ask.

"Well, here we are, wait in the car." Ichigo said as he got out and walked to the door. Chidori got out and got in the back seat. She looked out the window and saw someone staring back at her.

'Who's that girl?' She thought to herself as she looked at the girl with pink hair watching her from across the street. She started walking over to the car.

"Hello? Who are you?" She asked Chidori, the window was down.

"Chidori Shirayuki, and you?"

"What are you doing in his car?" She asked as Ichigo came back, she didn't see him.

"Riruka? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asks as he opens his door, she just blushes and runs away.

"Who was that girl?" Chidori asks.

"A first year who I think is afraid of me. She always runs when I say something to her. Momo, does she live around here?"

"I've never seen how outside of school, but whatever, hurry let's go! We'll be late!"

…

"You're late! All three of you! Why?"

"We got stuck in traffic…it's not like there are customers here anyway. Hey Nel." Ichigo told Kukaku as the three of them walked past her and Nel.

"Are you usually late?" Chidori asks?

"Yeah, I don't know how though."

"I'll make sure to punish you both when school comes around Monday."

"Ichigo, why are you such a nice person?" Momo whines to him about Chidori. He just sighs.

…

Ichigo, Momo, Rukia, and Chidori pulled in to the school's parking lot. Apacci was still sick, she got worse. Chidori was nervous about how everyone would react to her getting out of his car. Much to her dislike she was being stared at from the moment she got out of his car. There were already whispers and rumors being spread. She went to the teachers lounge to sign in for the day. When she got there Kyoraku was waiting.

"Oh, hello Shirayuki-sensei. I heard some interesting news about a certain event that occurred between you and a student of ours." He said to purposefully gain the attention of the other teachers.

"W…I don't know what you are talking about." She said, not looking at him, just continuing to do what she was.

"I've heard the rumors, that you and Ichigo Kurosaki have a thing. Please tell me that there's nothing goi…what are you doing here?" He asked as Ichigo opened the door and walked in with a file.

"Nanao asked me to bring this to you, she said it was important, why she didn't come, I don't know." Ichigo started to walk away.

"Ah, one minute Kurosaki. A question." Kyoraku said, Ichigo turned and waited. "Whats going on between you two." He pointed from him to Chidori and back.

"We're cousins; she doesn't have a car so I'm giving her rides to and from school." Ichigo answered quickly, he's planed ahead.

"I didn't know that…" He asked, suspicious.

"Distant, she's closer to Apacci's family then mine. Now can I go? I don't like it in here."

"Heh, yeah, fine. Go, I need to speak to your teacher anyway." Kyoraku said as he waved off Ichigo who turned and left. He went back to class to be bombarded with rumors and questions buy students, which is better than by teachers.

"So, It's true isn't it! First you pick the plain girl Momo Hinamori and then you go for the exotic half breed teacher!" One girl was houting at Ichigo as she pounded at his desk, he kept staring at the clock waiting for class to start, every few seconds he would look to Momo for a way out, she would smile and shake her head.

"I'm going to kill you all." Ichigo said right before Chidori walked in.

"Take your seats!" She shouted, everyone still on edge from what Ichigo calmly said, they followed her order without question. "Now…Ise-san, what is Kurosaki-kun, Hinamori-san, and Kuchiki-san's worst subjects?" She asked with a hidden smirk as she didn't face the class.

"They all suffer in Japanese History."

"What a coincidence. We're going to have speed drills in that subject today." She turned and glared at Ichigo, Rukia and Momo. Her eyes said one word. Punishment.

…

"I don't get it, why does Shirayuki-sensei have it out for you? Aren't you cousins?" Keigo asked as they ate lunch on the roof.

"I don't honestly know." Ichigo quickly said as he noticed someone walking over to them. Gin.

"I…would like to apologize." Everyone stopped and looked at him at the unexpected sentence.

"What are you talking about Gin?"

"I've been without my medication for a few months…and Aizen-san's influence was poor on me and once I got off my meds, well, you know the rest. I came by to apologize to you, Hinamori-san and Rangiku-chan. I'm sorry if my actions were…unacceptable." Rangiku was about to choke on her food, she didn't know that he needed medication.

"Well, I guess if you have the balls to even be near me, you must be genuine. Apology accepted. Momo? Rangiku?" Ichigo turned to the two who were staring at him and back to Ichigo.

"I don't…I guess I can forgive you." Momo said slowly, still confused.

"I can forgive you…but I've moved on and won't date you again." Rangiku said, looking at Ichigo then to Gin.

"I wouldn't want you to, I've done horrible things to you in these past months. I would like to not be on your bad side though…what do you say? Mr. Insane?" He asked looking at Ichigo.

"Don't push it." Ichigo said and Gin walked away.

"That was strange, anyway, back to why Shirayuki-sensei wants to torture you?" Keigo asked, Tatsuki answered instead.

"Would you shut up Keigo? If he doesn't know, than he doesn't know. So, has he proposed yet?" She asked as she poked Momo in the sides. Momo twitched and squirmed from the prodding, then the question reached her brain. She blushed and went to pull up her hood but soon figured out she wasn't wearing a jacket.

"Ta-Tatsuki-chan, don't ask her that question!" Orihime shouted waving her hands about, Ichigo just failed to cover a laugh.

"Yeah, we got married last night, where were you guys?" Ichigo joked, Rangiku started playing along too.

"I was there, didn't you guys get the invitations!?"

"Ran-chan…please…" Momo pleaded as she put her hand over Ichigo's mouth. "And no, he didn't…I…hey, look over there, who are they?" Momo pointed off to two girls standing near the stairwell looking lost. They saw the group looking at them and walked over.

"Must be the new students…" Rangiku said as they got closer. The short one had pale blonde hair, resembling the color of sandpaper. Her eyes were light pink, obviously not her real color, she also had a big smile on her face. The taller girl, only a few inches taller, had short messy blonde hair, spiked up a bit, she had bright green eyes and was staring at Orihime with a playful smirk. She had a white choker around her neck.

"Hey!" The shorted one said.

"Uh, hey." Ichigo said as he looked up at them, they both stared at him.

"Have we met before?" The two girls said at the same time. Ichigo shook his head.

"Who knows, what are your names? I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I'm Lilynette Gingerbuck! And this is Menoly Mallia! We are in the class…what class were we in?"

"I don't know…I heard it's the one with a teacher that's really pale…Their all kinda pale…" Menoly responded to her friend with a confused look.

…

"Oh…so…you're the new students in our class." Orihime said as she figured out what they meant by pale teacher. Chidori's skin was near white. Everyone had introduced themselves and the two new girls were sitting with them

"I guess so. We just got here so we didn't meet the students or teacher yet. Hey…I can't help but feel we met before…Kurosaki." Menoly was staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Ichigo just stopped looking up at her after a few minutes.

"I don't know, we probably have, we must not have talked, I don't remember you…"

"Didn't you have brown hair?" She asked, he immediately knew who she was talking about.

"Oh….you're talking about her boyfriend." Ichigo pointed to Tatsuki and smirked. "We look very similar."

"Ah, makes sense. So can I we come over today?" She asked him, he nearly choked.

"I…what are you talking about? Why?"

"Well, we want to get to know everyone, and what better way than to stay at their house for a few hours talking. It so happens that I asked you first."

"I…don't think that's a good idea." Ichigo responded after realizing what she was asking.

"Oh why not? We want to be friends with you all, and at out old school when we made friends we would come over. Are you nervous about me or something?" Menoly asked with an eye brow raised.

"It's not that…I…you can't…" Ichigo was trying to come up with a reason they couldn't come over.

"How about you come over to my house instead?" Rangiku butted in with a smile.

"Sure!" Lilynette shouted with a wide smile. "Menoly-chan, what about you?"

"I think I'll go over to her house." She said with a smirk and pointed to Orihime.

"I…! What…okay! We can walk there after school okay!" She said with a smile. Menoly grabbed her hand.

"I thought you looked like a nice girl, you're my first friend here! I'll follow you home."

"Ah, can I have my hand back?" Orihime weakly asked and Menoly laughed and let her go.

'She's weird a bit out there…' Ichigo thought as he watched Menoly, his eyes shifted to Lilynette. 'And how old is she…'

"Ichigo, are you listening to me?" Momo said pulling at his hand.

"Oh sorry, what were you saying Momo?"

"When you take me home, can we run by your house first? I left something there Saturday."

"Uh, yeah, what is it?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Why does she get to go over?" Menoly asked when she heard their conversation.

"Because she's my girlfriend." Ichigo responded with a glance to Momo.

"Oh good, I thought it was because you were afraid of having girls over."

'Once a month it's like living in the depths of hell, I sure as hell am afraid.'

…

"You're lucky I'm giving you a ride after what you did today." Ichigo told Chidori as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"You know what you got into when you offered me a place to stay, and if my image of you is correct, you would have offered me a ride whether I lived with you or not."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo shouted.

"Hey no shouting. I have a headache." Isane said, instead of Rukia Isane was getting a ride, Rukia was at a club meeting. Tatsuki was with them, Ichigo invited her to hang out, he wanted to see a movie that Momo didn't want to. Isane was between Tatsuki and Chidori.

"It means you're too good a person to let a girl walk home alone, especially in such a bad neighborhood." She said in a childish manner. Ichigo was going to pull over and force her to walk home on her own. But something caught his attention and nearly made him crash his car. He swerved and almost slammed in to a tree if he didn't pull up the E-brake. He sat staring at the tree for a second.

"Ichigo? What was that?"

"I don't know? There was a woman in the road!" Ichigo shouted as he stumbled out of the car. He looked in the road and there was a woman lying in the road with a bruise on her forehead. Ichigo ran over and a few seconds later so did the others.

"Is she dead?" Isane asked.

"No she's breathing." Chidori said as she pulled out her phone to call for an ambulance. Before she could do anything the woman opened her eyes and jumped up.

"Where!? Who…oh god damn it, Kisuke!" The woman started complaining as she walked away limping. Ichigo grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey! Wait, are you okay!? You were unconscious in the road…and you know Urahara?"

"I'm fine, you can be sure I know him! I'm that idiot's wife!" She shouted Ichigo, Momo and Isane couldn't believe her, he didn't look the type to be married…or even have a relationship with a human.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I ask myself that every day. What's your name anyway?" She asked glancing at Ichigo with a playful look.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…thi-"

"Allow me to thank you for waking me." She pushed him to the ground and climbed up on top of him and shoved her tongue in to his mouth, he held his hands out to the side to show he waqsnt doing anything, Momo started to push her off.

"Get off of him! Hey! Get off!" Momo couldn't do it. Ichigo was too surprised to do anything. Tatsuki kicked the woman in the sides and she rolled off of Ichigo.

"You whore, go back to your perverted husband!" Isane shouted, everyone looked to her like she had four heads.

"Isane, watch your mouth." Momo warned as she helped Ichigo up from next to the woman clutching her sides.

"I'm not a whore…" She said, Ichigo looked down at her.

"Why is she crying? She…"

"I'm not a whore…" She said again as she looked up to them with teary golden eyes. "It's all that damn Kisuke's fault, his stupid experimental medicine…always horrible effects…"

"Umm…What's your name?" Momo asked as she helped her up.

"Yoruichi Shihoin." The woman winced again as the pain in her side returned. She had to step away from Ichigo or else she would jump on him again. She didn't know, but the anti-anxiety pills that Urahara gave her had an aphrodisiac in them. She didn't know why she was in the road though.

'Does she really have the same name as my cat…?' Momo thought.

"Okay, Yoruichi, do you know where you are? I could point you in his direction."

"Oh, I'm fine…hey, I'm sorry about what just…." She shuddered a little and backed away. "…Happened. I'll make it up to you, I promise." She said before she ran off in a direction before her urges got the better of her.

…

"Oh Ichigo, your manga hasn't come in yet." Urahara waved his fan at Ichigo as he walked up to the store. Yoruichi, the woman from earlier was sleeping in a hammock off to the side.

"I'm not here for that, I want to know why your wife raped my mouth earlier?"

"She did that…Yoruichi, wake up for me." He said as he threw a rock and it hit the van making a noise that woke her.

"What now! I wont take another one of your experimental…oh it's you." She tried getting out of the hammock when she saw Ichigo but just fell. After getting up she ran over.

"You sexually assaulted my best customer? Shame on you, and he has such a cute girlfriend too…you probably made her worry a lot." Urahara was joking but he didn't know that Momo was screaming at her cat about it.

"It was that damn anti whatever you gave me! I was calm, I don't think it worked. Again, Ichigo, I'm sorry, this fool will give you anything for free today. And for the rest of the month."

"I'm already helping him out…he's getting quite an allowance you know."

"And you say we have no money for my surgery?"

"Ah, do you really need them bigger?"

"I told you, it's reduction! I cant find E-size anywhere!" She shouted at him, Ichigo just slowly walked away and headed inside. But he came right back out after realizing he didn't want anything.

"And that's exactly why I don't want to pay for it!" Urahara shouted back at her. "Ichigo, large or small?"

"Wait, what? Why ask me this!?"

"Oh right…never mind, Momo's a B-cup."

"Y-yea-HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT!?"

"Please, I can tell from a glance. Your friend Orihime Inoue, DD32. Tatsuki Arisawa A30, Momo B34. My Yoruichi is E36."

"You really are just an old pervert. Whatever, I'll see you whenever I decide to come back."

…

"Invite him over one day, when your mom is at work and your sister is whoring around."

"My sister doesn't…"

"It's an expression Momo." Rangiku and Momo were talking on the phone about how to get to the sexual part of the relationship. Rangiku's earlier advice lay in his bed naked with a bow in your hair was shot down immediately after flustering.

"Whatever…" Momo rolled over so she was on her back looking up at the ceiling.

"As I said, invite him over…when nobody is home, you wouldn't want your mother to walk in seeing her gentle Momo getting plowed like a field."

"Please, I love him…Rangiku…this is serious….I…want to…but I'm afraid…"

"Momo, I'll tell you this because I've known Ichigo much longer than you have, I know how his mind works, if he's set out to do something, he'll get it done. He's set out to love you and be with you, he would probably wait for you until marriage…that is if he can control his mind."

"That didn't help at all."

"Just…you know what, skip school tomorrow, be sick, I will teach you."

"Teach me…what the hell are you talking about…and my mother is lead doctor at the hospital, do you think I can fake an illness?"

…

"Oh, alright, I'll be home late today though…are you going to be okay? Should I call Ichigo to tell him you're ill? I know he'll sit here and watch you." Her mother was easily fooled much to her surprise, Momo just fake coughed a few times.

"No…he missed too much school for me as is…just call him and tell him I'm sick."

"Alright…"

…

"Open your window!" Rangiku shouted on the phone, Momo looked out her window and to the ground to see Rangiku standing there.

"Just use the front door, nobody is home…" Momo said as she hung up and went down stairs opening the door because it was locked.

"Okay. Lesson one, it's bad for you if you don't have it. IT removes all the stress that is pent up in here, which you need, those bandages can come off at the end of the week and I think you need to be stress free." Rangiku pointed to the bandages around Momo's head. Momo looked up in an attempt to see them, She couldn't of course.

"Yeah but…"

"Lesson two. It will hurt. The first time hurts. A lot. But if you love him the pain wont matter."

"I love him."

"good. Now…Lesson three…hope you had a light breakfast, this is a wild ride." Rangiku said, cracking her knuckles.

…

"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted as he found her in the hall, Rukia and Apacci were behind him. Menoly and Lilynette were with her.

"Morning Inoue, how did yesterday go?" He asked, remembering Menoly was heading over there. Orihime blushed and looked away for a second remembering what happened.

"We had fun…we, watched a movie. And…"

"She made us a good dinner, I don't know why she said you and everyone else don't like her food." Lilynette responded covering Orihime's mouth.

"Because she is a culinary terrorist." Ichigo said with a smirk. "Inoue, that book you borrowed? Whenever you finish it can you give it to Nel, you remember her…the girl I work with…turquoise hair…lives down the street from you now…just moved…" Ichigo kept giving her clues, because she didn't say anything, just make a clueless face at him. "Oh wait! Yes, I remember her! Okay!" Orihime happily said. Ichigo was about to ask Lilynette something but she ran off following some guy from their class. Menoly just put her anr around Orihime over her shoulder and hung on her.

"So, can I come over today, eh Ichigo?" She asked with a look of being very annoyed at him.

'She won't stop asking huh…I have an idea…'

"Friday. You can come Friday, for two hours." Ichigo turned to Rukia and whispered something in her ear, she nodded and ran off in the other direction dragging Apacci with her. "SO, what…really happened yesterday that you're not telling me?" He asked with a smirk.

"No nothing at all, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime said quickly. Ichigo nodded.

"Alright, see you in class." He started to walk off. Orihime ran in the opposite direction, Menoly followed Ichigo.

"So…where's your girlfriend?" She asked as she put her arm around his which he pulled away from her.

"She's home sick." Ichigo replied simply.

"I meant to ask yesterday, why does she have those bandages around her head?"

"She has a fractured…had a fractured skull, it should be able to be left alone without constant pressure by the end of the week."

"Wow, you must be what they call a rough lover." Menoly said as she jumped in front of him.

"What the hell? No. She fell." Ichigo answered as he stopped in the hall.

"Fall, slamming your head in to the wall during a righteous bout of love making, same thing."

"…Who the hell…where did you even come from? No. Better question…WHY ARE YOU AT MY SCHOOL!"

"I'm nineteen. Failed to graduate two times. I'm a second year, and I just transferred here."

"BULLSHIT!"

Yoruichi was the one who answered him. She was standing behind him in the school uniform, the same bruise on her forehead from yesterday had something covering it.

"Who's she?" Menoly asks as she pops out from behind Ichigo.

"I'm his new best friend. Yoruichi Shihoin." She said as she moved closer to them with a smirk.

"If you touch me one more time, I will make that bruise worse."

"Oh, you naughty little boy. I just told you how I got that bruise." Yoruichi licked her lips and walked away. "I'll be waiting at the shop." Ichigo turned to Menoly.

"Hey, if I ask you to kill me, would you do it?" Ichigo asked pleadingly.

"What's the deal with her?" Menoly asked.

"I don't know…some perverted shopkeeper's wife…but…"

"That girl was married?" It was Tatsuki approaching with Toshiro. They went back to being friends after she got together with Kaien.

"How old does she look to you, Tatsuki?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Like 26, why is she here in a uniform…"

"She's nineteen and failed twice. Just transferred here. And as fate would have it I nearly ran her over yesterday."

…

"So?"

"I hate you so much."

"Oh come on…school is almost over, I'll call him to tell him to come over."

Rangiku and Momo were sitting on her bed. Momo was blushing furiously from an event she would never speak of again.

"R-Ran-chan…why would you do this to me and then make him come and basically do that… but… without clothes…"

"Because you need it. Shut up, I'm calling him."

…

"Rangiku, were you sick too, or did you j…Hey! Knock it off!" Ichigo shouted at Yoruichi and Menoly who were fussing over him wrapping their arms around his.

"No, I skipped, stayed with Momo all day, she asked me to call you and tell you to come over, alone, quickly. At least within the next thirty minutes."

"I…is everything okay? I told you to stop it!"

"Oh but I never got to apologize correctly." Yoruichi purred, purposefully close to the phone.

"Oh, what was that? Sounded like that one woman…why is she there…?" Rangiku asked.

"She's been following me around…believe it or not…she's 19 and just transferred to our school…anyway, I'll…touch me one more time and I will smack you. I'll be there." Ichigo said right as he hung up.

"And he's on his way, good luck Momo, I'll be home…and if he doesn't stumble out this door sweating and disoriented, I will make you pay." Rangiku said with a smile as she ran out of Momo's room leaving her half naked on her bed waiting for the inevitable arrival of Ichigo.

"But you didn't have to demonstrate…that was just weird…I…should I get dressed. But I'll just end up…Ah, what do I do!? Ran-chan!" Momo shouted after Rangiku but stopped as she heard the door slam.

…

Ten minutes later and Momo was about to call Ichigo to tell him not to come, but s soon as she picked up her phone there was a knock at the door. Momo slowly made her way to the door and when she opened it, Ichigo was standing there with a bruise on his cheek.

"What happened to your face?" Momo asked as she moved over to let him in. He came in and sat on the couch.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." It was from Yoruichi. "You feeling better? Why was Rangiku here?"

"O-Oh…I'm…nothing…she…I…"

"Calm down Momo, you look like you're about to explode." Ichigo commented, noticing how red her face was once she remembered why he was there.

'Ah…what should I do…I-I'll just say it…come on Momo, you can do it!' She thought to herself as she gathered herself.

"I-Ichigo…do you want…to have…sex?" Ichigo was startled by her question, she wasn't the kind of girl to even say the word sex let alone ask for it.

"Momo…are you…actually asking me from your heart? Or did Rangiku convince you? I just want to know." He said with a smile and stood up.

"Well…I…wanted to…ask you a while ago…to thank you for everything you've done with, and for, me. I love you and wanted to…but I didn't know how to go about…asking I guess, and I told Rangiku…and she sat here with me today just talking about it…"

"I want to…but not if you don't completely want to." Ichigo said as he put a hand on her cheek. Momo just shut her eyes for a second.

"I want to." She said looking up at him, she grabbed the hand that was in her cheek and held it firmly.

…

Ichigo and Momo went up to Momo's room, she was naked laying on her bed waiting for Ichigo, he was getting on the bed with her. He leans in close and kisses her slowly, after a few seconds, he pulls away and looks at her face, which is still red, she's been constantly blushing. He looked away for a second because a bird flew into the window. The sudden sound made Momo jump ad clutch on to him.

"Momo…it was just a bird…calm down…" Ichigo said as he sat up and peeled her hands off of him.

"I…okay…lets go…" Momo lay back and Ichigo climbed on top of her. He put his tip to her entrance and put it in slowly. One look at her face made him stop. She was making a face of fear and trying to cope with it.

"Momo…I can't. You don't want to do this, you think you do, I saw in your face that you don't want to. You don't need to have sex with me to thank me, you could just say thank you. I love you enough to not make a big deal of waiting to have sex. So, don't push yourself." Ichigoe explained as he got dressed, just in time too. The front door was heard opening. They looked at each other with an expression that said 'Oh shit!' Even more so, when they heard Retsu's voice.

"I'm home early Momo!"

"Hurry, get dressed! Go!" Ichigo whispered quickly. "When you're dressed pretend to be asleep." Ichigo whispered and ran out of her room, shutting the door quietly then heading down stairs.

"OH, Ichigo, what are you doing here?" Retsu asks as she set a bag down on the table.

"I came to see if Momo was feeling better."

"Oh, that's sweet of you, but she was faking it. Honestly, how she thought she could fool me with an illness…but I let her stay home for the effort."

"Mom…what are you doing home?" Momo asked as she spoke up, she was there to hear her mother knew she faked.

'I told you to pretend to sleep…'

"I came home early, someone is taking over for me, there's something I wanted to give you anyway. Here. I didn't know which to get so…" She threw the bag at Momo.

"What…MOM!" Momo shouted as she opened it to see ten boxes of condoms, different brands and sizes.

"What is…" Ichigo asked as he looked in, he reached in and grabbed a box. "Really? Extra small?" He asked looking at Retsu who just giggled a bit.

"Well, I thought it would just be rude to ask you in person, so I figured, hey, why not get every size. And a few different brands, I know you two are going to have sex soon, and when it happens…use one of those."

'Oh shit, we were about to do it without one…' Momo and Ichigo thought simultaneously.

"Oh…you're sweating…Momo are you sure you were faking it?" Retsu asked as she moved closer to Momo.

"I…Uh, It was hot and Ichigo made it cooler!" She blurted out on the spot.

"Momo…" Ichigo muttered to himself as he picked up the bag and started digging around. He pulled out another box and held it up. "I'm flattered." It was XXL

"Would you stop it!" Momo shouted as she snatched the bag.

"Well, I need to find my size, don't I? You wouldn't know it, or have you been spying on me like Isane?" Ichigo spoke with a smirk, and Retsu just looked back at Momo and tilted her head.

"Well Momo…Do you know it." She asked, expecting her to answer.

"I just remembered I ha-"

"Do you know it?"

'This woman…how can such a sweet woman be so scary?' Ichigo thought to himself as he felt a chill run up his spine.

"Yes…"

"And why do you know it?" She asked with a smile, but her fists were clenched.

"Ah, when I s-spent the night at Ichigo's house! I accidentaly walked in on him in the bathroom! It was only for a spilt second!" Momo held her hands up in defense and Ichigo just sighed and put the bag down and walked over to her. He stood behind her and put his arms around her.

"Oh, it's obvious she's lying, she's never seen it, she's just trying to cover up that she doesn't spy on me. Shame, shame. " Ichigo taunts and Momo blushes a bit. She shook her head and broke free.

"Take a box and leave! Idiot!"


End file.
